Weighting Factor for Seasonal Subgrade Resilient Modulus

Abstract

Subgrade resilient modulus is highly dependent on water content, which can vary significantly with a number of seasonal environmental factors. Because the determination of seasonal resilient modulus is cumbersome, it is difficult to include environmental factors in pavement design. The use of a weighting factor for flexible pavement design to include the effects of monthly changes in the subgrade resilient modulus is described. The weighting factor, which was derived from Miner’s linear damage concept and the 1993 AASHTO design equation for flexible pavements, is used to designate a design season. Instead of using multiple values of resilient modulus in the pavement design process, the pavement design may be performed with a single value of subgrade modulus corresponding to this design season. A pavement design based on this design season then is assumed to reflect the seasonal variations in subgrade modulus and the corresponding relative damage that the pavement would sustain over al seasons of the year. The weighting factor can be calculated from laboratory tests of resilient modulus over the range of water contents that may be encountered in the subgrade over different seasons. Alternatively, the weighting factor can be obtained from the resilient modulus backcalculated from seasonal nondestructive tests. The determination of the weighting factor and the design season resilient modulus was demonstrated in three examples and shown to be consistent with the recommendations of the 1993 AASHTO guide. The use of the weighting factor should provide a cost-effective means of including seasonal variations in subgrade properties while minimizing the required number of laboratory resilient modulus tests.