Data Collection for Implementation of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) in Izmir, Turkey

Abstract

Developing countries like Turkey are trying to implement the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). The implementation of this method requires comprehensive local data collection, evaluation, and, if necessary, a local calibration. The objective of this study is to prepare local data such as climate, traffic, and materials for evaluation and local calibration of MEPDG for Izmir City. For this purpose, the climate and traffic data were obtained, analysed, and converted to the MEPDG format. Besides, the bound and unbound pavement material properties were determined. Since some of the obtained local data like climate, vehicle classification, traffic growth factor, and axle load distribution cannot be directly used as design inputs, they were developed and converted to a suitable format to be used in the MEPDG. The output of this study can be used as design inputs for the evaluation and local calibration the MEPDG in Izmir and serves as a guide for data preparation for other parts of the country.