A open discussion

on
IRC:37-2012
By

Sanjay Garg
S.E(B), MORT&H
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Characterization of Materials
For a successful and effective pavement
design, characterization should be based on
material properties that accurately capture the
material
response
which
influenced
by
construction quality, applied traffic loading and
environmental conditions varies over design life.
At present, no such consideration in material
characterization is taken care of.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

 What is the correct modulus for the

different materials?

Is computation of effective subgrade

strength based on empirical procedure is
justified and in order?
How E-value is same for DBM and BC?
What is the validity of table 7.1 in IRC 37?
Why effect of environmental influences on
material properties is not considered?
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Mathematical Modeling
Details of mathematical modeling need to
be furnished. It need to be refined after
considering
adequate
nos.
of
layers/sublayers as per their damage
mechanics and behaviour under loading.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Characterization of Traffic
Axle load spectra approach need to be
adopted after considering axle multiplicity,
change in axle loading and configurations;
change in tire type and tire pressure; and change
in pavement failure modes.
Lateral traffic
considered.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

wander

effect

need

to

be

Location of critical pavement responses

Currently - 2 locations - directly beneath the
center of the tire and at the centre of dual tire for
a single axle with dual tires.
To evaluate the maximum principal (design)
strains/stress under single or multi-axle
loadings, pavement response should be evaluated
at several locations and corresponding pavement
damages (distresses) will be calculated for each
location. Location of maximum damage will be
the critical location and should be made part of
design process.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Distress Prediction & Failure Criterion

Flexibility to choose
should be given,

failure

criteria

Rutting in bituminous layers as well as in

base/sub-base layers need to be taken,
Top-down fatigue (longitudinal) cracking and
thermal fatigue (transverse) cracking will also
be considered in design process.
Functional distresses like surface roughness
and friction may also be included as failure
criterion.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Transfer functions
Transfer functions need to redefined as per
current practices of materials and their quality,
varied conditions of traffic, climate, mix designs,
pavement
constructions,
reliability
and
maintenance practices etc. as per actual field
conditions found in India.
Calibration is also essential.
Weakest part of entire design process.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Reliability concept
Reliability concept need to defined properly after
accounting adequately for traffic prediction,
material characterization and behavior modeling,
environmental conditions, construction quality,
and maintenance practices etc.
It is kept as an input variable in order to have a
choice for the desired degree of certainty into the
design process and to ensure that the various
design alternatives will survive for the analysis
period without reaching to unacceptable condition
of pavement performance.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

Incremental Damage
Accumulation Procedure
Accumulation of damage as a function of
time, traffic and climate need to be
defined properly after accounting properly
the changes in all input data occurring
over the design period.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

10

Pavement Performance & its Prediction

Pavement Performance in terms of functional
performance, structural performance, and
safety need to defined and should be made
part of design process.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

11

Design Period
Why only 15 years or 20 years?

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

12

Thickness & Gradation of GSB

Cl. 7.2.1.3 - composed of two layers separation/filter (lower) layer and drainage layer,
What are the minimum thickness of these two
layers for satisfying their intended purposes?
Drainage layer cl. 11.8/Annex-V of IRC:37 &
Ministrys Specifications for Roads and Bridges
(2013)).
Gradation of both layers.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

13

Stabilised base and sub-base layer

Reference to relevant IRC codes for
designing/constructing
the
respective
bound sub-base and base layer should be
specified in IRC:37 as there is lot of
confusion among the use of IRC:60,
IRC:74,
IRC:88,
IRC:SP:89
and
IRC:SP:49.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

14

Design with stabilized base course

Pavement design with stabilized base
course along with material properties,
failure criterion, damage accumlation,
transfer function need to reviewed and
refined in view of changes occurring
AustRoad 2012 & current developments
therein in 2015.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

15

Mix Design issues

Fatigue resistant and durable bituminous mix
Adoption of 3% air void may cause failure due to their
tendering nature or rutting. Adoption of bitumen
content in excess of 0.50-0.60% will further aggrieved
the problem.
For flexible pavements having bituminous layer
thickness more than 200 mm, What are special
requirement for bituminous layers? Desired properties
like NMAS, ratio of fine aggregates to bitumen, layer
thickness, bitumen content, air void, bitumen
modulus, VFB & VMA requirements need to be

mentioned.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

16

Rutting resistant Mix

What is the criterion for governing mix design to
obtain a Rutting resistant bituminous layer?
Mix Design guidelines or manual for dense graded
bituminous layers need to developed for Indian
conditions of traffic and climate.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

17

Other Bituminous Mix issues

If RAP (Recycled asphalt) content is less than
15%, then its properties including modulus value
is almost similar to that of neat bituminous mix
and need to be accordingly incorporated in
IRC:37. Further, adoption of a modulus value of
600 MPa for any mix having RAP is too less and
strongly need to be revised in order to evolve an
economical pavement design.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

18

Other Bituminous Mix issues

Para I.2 (page 50) of Annex-I of IRC:37-2012
states
.unacceptable rutting in the bituminous layer is
observed probably due to use of softer bitumen for
the climate, higher temperatures and heavy axle
loads. This problem is now addressed by the
selection of high viscosity binder for the bituminous
mix in line with the European practice.

However, details of high viscosity binder need to

be furnished.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

19

 Tack coat with modified bitumen must be

provided at the interface of all bituminous layers
to enhance the interface friction.
Type, content and relative effectiveness of the
bitumen modifier need to be mentioned so that a
highway engineer may obtain a fatigue resistant
and durable bituminous mix at his site.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

20

Wearing Surface
For regions of truck volumes > 3000 CVPD per
design lane, a wearing coat having adequate rutting
resistance, durability, impermeability and wear
resistance, like Stone Mastic (Matrix) Asphalt (SMA)
as per IRC:SP:79 should be used. Thickness may
be 50 mm to 100 m. High bitumen content (6-7 %
or more) and low in-place air voids (< 6%) should
be used to ensure mix impermeability and durability
for SMA. Use of BC should be limited for the
highway stretches having truck traffic volumes per
design lane less than 3000 CVPD.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

21

Design of Perpetual Pavements

Design details furnished for the design of
perpetual pavement in IRC:37 are totally wrong
and inadequate. It should be revised thoroughly
either in view of the paper titled as Perpetual
Flexible Pavements: Pavements of Future
published in the Journal of the Indian Road
Congress, Vol.73-2, 2012 or else.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

22

Preventive Maintenance
A program employing a network level, long term
strategy
that
enhances
functional
pavement
performance by using an integrated, cost effective set
of practices that extend pavement life, improve safety
and meet motorist expectations.

Pavement preservation is applying the right

treatment at the right timeon the right
pavement in order to provide a sustainable
pavement condition, prolong the life of a pavement,
used funds most efficiently, reduces the frequency of
costly
and
time
consuming
rehabilitation/
reconstruction projects and the associated traffic
disruptions.
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

23

Pavement Management System

Need
for
the
development
of
comprehensive pavement management
system to obtain an effective pavement
maintenance approach for ensuring
cost optimized pavement performance
and longevity.

Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

24

Thanks
Sanjay Garg, SE(B)-S&R

25