Approaches to Rut Depth Prediction in Semirigid Asphalt Pavements

Abstract

Rutting has an adverse effect on safety and riding comfort of pavement. Reliable prevention and prediction of rutting has been one of the major focuses in road research. This paper summarizes the methods available for rut depth prediction and performs a case study in two separate ways based on the data acquired from a full-scale indoor circular road test. One was to formulate the possible rut depth by integrating a four-element-five-parameter viscoelastic model and the layered strain approach. The other was based on an empirical method. It is verified that both methods are applicable in predicting rut depth within the near future after open to traffic. The empirical method, however, is also capable of predicting rut depth within the whole design life. And theoretical method proves inadequate because of the limitation of the model itself and also of the method for obtaining parameters.