Pavement subgrade performance study: part II: modeling pavement response and predicting pavement performance

As part of an international study, during 1995/96, the Danish Road Institute (DRI) and the Institute for Planning of the Danish Technical University (DTU) constructed and instrumented a full-scale test pavement (RTM1) in the Danish Road Testing Machine, applying 100,000 dual wheel load repetitions in a preliminary accelerated loading test. The objective was to evaluate different instruments, instrumentation and testing procedures, and to provide a preliminary pavement deterioration model. During 1996 and 1997, the Danish researchers reconstructed and instrumented a second full-scale test pavement (RTM2), with similar pavement materials, structure and instrumentation, and carried out an accelerated loading test. The objective was to continue to evaluate instrumentation and testing procedures, and to investigate and develop pavement deterioration models. By the end of 1997, 150,000 dual wheel load repetitions at higher load levels had been applied. This report describes the structural testing, material response measurements and pavement performance monitoring of the second test pavement. Based on the responses of the pavement materials and the performance of both test pavements, models for predicting deterioration of the subgrade and deformation of the pavement surface are derived, and mechanistic-empirical methods for designing new and rehabilitated road pavements are described.