IRC 37-2001 Guidelines for the Design of Flexible Pavements

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• The guidelines on design of flexible pavement were first brought out in 1970, which were based on California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of subgrade and traffic in terms of number of commercial vehicles (more than 3 tonnes laden weight). These guidelines were revised in 1984 in which design traffic was considered in terms of cumulative number of equivalent standard axle load of 80 kN in millions of standard axles (msa) and design charts were provided for traffic up to 30 msa using an empirical approach.

• The guidelines were revised again in 2001 when pavements were required to be designed for traffic as high as 150 msa. The revised guidelines used a semi-mechanistic approach based on the results of the MORTH’s research scheme R-56 implemented at IIT Kharagpur. The software, FPAVE was developed for the analysis and design of flexible pavements. Multilayer elastic theory was adopted for stress analysis of the layered elastic system. A large number of data collected from different parts of India under various research schemes of MORTH were used for the development of fatigue and rutting criteria from field performance data.

• The traffic pattern has changed since then and so has the technology. The volume of tandem, tridem and multi-axle vehicles has increased manifold and heavier axle loads are common. Experience has been gained on the use of new form of construction and materials such as stone matrix asphalt, modified bitumen, foamed bitumen, bitumen emulsion, warm asphalt, cementitious bases and sub-bases, since the publication of the last revision of the guidelines. Conventional as well as commercially available chemical soil stabilizers are being successfully used in trial sections. Attention is focused on fatigue resistant bituminous mixes with high viscosity binders for heavy traffic with a view to construct high performance long life bituminous pavements. The guidelines contained in this document reflect the current knowledge in the subject.

• Conventional construction material like aggregates is becoming progressively scarce on account of environmental concerns as well as legal restrictions on quarrying while the construction activity has expanded phenomenally. This has shifted focus from large scale use of conventional aggregates to use of local, recycled and engineered marginal aggregates in construction.

• It is recognized that research as well as performance trials have not been very extensive in India for some of the new materials but these have been included in the guidelines in the light of extensive performance reports and current practice in Australia, South Africa and other countries with due safeguards in design for heavy axle loads. Some trials in India have performed well (Annex XI).

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