Title: The use of rolling wheel deflections to predict flexible pavement life: a review
Abstract: The use of the transient deflection of a pavement under a rolling wheel as a means of assessing the adequacy of a pavement and as a means of estimating when remedial works will be required is discussed. Research and experience have shown that there is a relationship between the elastic deflection of a pavement under a rolling wheel and the long term performance of the pavement. The deflection performance relationships developed by a number of authorities are examined. The relationships vary but are of the general form: performance is inversely proportional to deflection to the power a, where a is a constant. Differences in the value a arise due to variations in the pavements and environments examined, definitions of the terminal conditions and the deflection measurement procedures adopted. These differences mitigate against transporting relationships from the area in which they were developed. Deflection measurements appear to be a useful and important means of predicting pavement life but should not be used alone. In combination with other measures of pavement performance they can be used in soundly based pavement design and management systems. The reliability of predictions of pavement performance based on elastic deflection measurements is not well established. It may be that permanent deformation is a better indicator of pavement performance than elastic deflection. Further research into the relationship between deflection and performance should be undertaken.
Publication Year: 1980
Publication Date: 1980-08-01
Language: en
Type: review
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