PCA Design Method
PCA Design Method
• Two failure modes considered:
– Fatigue failure due to slab flexure
– Erosion failure due to foundation compression
• Edge loads produce the worst stresses
– Fatigue based on tensile stress due to edge loads
• Corner loads produce the worst deflections
– Erosion based on deflections due to corner loads
2
Miner’s Hypothesis
3
Fatigue Model
4
Erosion Model
P = rate of work
p = contact pressure (psi)
h = slab thickness (in)
k = modulus of subgrade reaction (psi/in)
C = 1.0 (granular subbase), 0.9 (stabilized subbase)
5
Erosion Model
No tied concrete shoulder Tied concrete shoulder
6
Design Parameters
1. Concrete modulus of rupture (MR)
2. Modulus of subgrade reaction (k)
3. Design traffic volume
4. Axle load spectrum
7
Modulus of Subgrade Reaction
Design k Values for Untreated Subbases
Design k Values for Cement-Treated Subbases
8
Design Traffic Volume
Average Direction Traffic
Daily Traffic Distribution Growth
(two-way) Factor Multiplier
V 365 ADT T D L G Y
Percent Lane Design
Trucks Distribution Life
Factor
9
Growth Factor (AASHTO)
Design
Life
1 r 1
n
G
r
Annual
Growth
Rate
10
Growth Factor (PCA)
Design
Life
Y
G 1 r 2
Annual
Growth
Rate
11
Lane Distribution Factor
(ADT) (D) (G)
12
Axle Load Spectrum
600
500
400
Frequency
300
200
100
0
3000-6999 7000-7999 8000- 12000- 16000- 18000- 20000- 22000- 24000- 26000-
11999 15999 17999 19999 21999 23999 25999 29999
Single Axle Load (lbs)
13
Axle Load Spectrum
250
200
150
Frequency
100
50
0
6000- 12000- 18000- 24000- 30000- 32000- 34000- 36000- 38000- 40000-
11999 17999 23999 29999 31999 33999 35999 37999 39999 41999
Tandem Axle Load (lbs)
14
Design Procedure
1. Choose a trial slab thickness (h).
2. For each axle load class:
a) Determine Ni for fatigue failure.
b) Divide ni by Ni to determine fatigue damage factor di.
c) Determine Ni for erosion failure.
d) Divide ni by Ni to determine erosion damage factor di.
3. Sum fatigue and erosion damage factors over all of the
axle load classes.
4. If both sums are less than 1 (life) your design is good;
otherwise you need to increase your slab thickness.
15
Equivalent Stress
Equivalent Stress – No Concrete Shoulder Equivalent Stress – Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
16
Load Safety Factor
Traffic Volume LSF
High
1.2
(interstates, multilane highways)
Moderate
1.1
(highways and arterials)
Low
1.0
(collectors, residential streets)
Multiplication factor for axle loads
17
18
Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor – Doweled Joints, Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor – No Dowels, Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
19
Allowable Repetitions
Concrete Shoulder 20
Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor – Doweled Joints, No Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor – No Dowels, No Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
21
Allowable Repetitions
No Concrete Shoulder 22
Example Problem
23
Example
Four-lane rural interstate
Two-way ADT = 12,900
Trucks (T) = 19%
Growth rate (r) = 4%
D = 0.5 (assumed)
Design life (Y) = 20 years
24
Traffic Growth Multiplier
Y
G 1 r 1.04
10
2 1.5
25
Design Traffic Volume
12,900 0.5 1.5
V ADT D G 9675
26
Lane Distribution Factor
27
Design Traffic Volume
12,900 0.19 0.5 0.81 1.5 20
V 365 ADT T D L G Y
V = 10,880,000 trucks
28
Example
Clay subgrade
k = 100 psi/in
4" untreated subbase
Concrete MR = 650 psi
Doweled JPCP
Asphalt Shoulders
29
Modulus of Subgrade Reaction
Design k Values for Untreated Subbases
Design k Values for Cement-Treated Subbases
30
Axle Load Spectrum
2,000,000
1,837,000
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
586,900
600,000
422,500
400,000 307,200
235,800
200,000 106,900
64,410 30,140 14,690 6,310
0
12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Single Axle Load (kips)
31
Axle Load Spectrum
1,800,000
1,656,000
1,600,000
1,400,000 1,356,000
1,227,000
1,200,000
984,900
1,000,000 930,700
885,800
800,000
600,000
372,900
400,000
200,000 124,900
42,870 21,320
0
16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
Tandem Axle Load (kips)
32
33
34
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
35
Load Safety Factor
Traffic Volume LSF
High
1.2
(interstates, multilane highways)
Moderate
1.1
(highways and arterials)
Low
1.0
(collectors, residential streets)
Multiplication factor for axle loads
36
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
37
Equivalent Stress
Equivalent Stress – No Concrete Shoulder Equivalent Stress – Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
38
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206
0.317 206/MR
30 36.0 6310
39
40
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4
41
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4
28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900
42
43
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4
28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0
= 61.0
44
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
45
Equivalent Stress
Equivalent Stress – No Concrete Shoulder Equivalent Stress – Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
46
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192
0.295 192/MR
52 62.4 21,320
47
48
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9
49
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9
48 57.6 42,870
50
51
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9
48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0
= 62.9
52
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4
28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0
53
Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor – Doweled Joints, No Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor – No Dowels, No Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
54
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206 2.59
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4
28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0
55
Allowable Repetitions
No Concrete Shoulder 56
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206 2.59
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4 1,500,000 0.4
28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0
57
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
206 2.59
0.317
30 36.0 6310 27,000 23.4 1,500,000 0.4
28 33.6 14,690 77,000 19.1 2,200,000 0.7
26 31.2 30,140 230,000 13.1 3,500,000 0.9
24 28.8 64,410 1,200,000 5.4 5,900,000 1.1
22 26.4 106,900 unlimited 0.0 11,000,000 1.0
20 28.0 235,800 23,000,000 1.0
18 21.6 307,200 64,000,000 0.5
16 19.2 422,500 unlimited 0
= 6.1
58
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9
48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0
59
Erosion Factor
Erosion Factor – Doweled Joints, No Concrete Shoulder Erosion Factor – No Dowels, No Concrete Shoulder
(Single Axle / Tandem Axle) (Single Axle / Tandem Axle)
60
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192 2.79
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9
48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0
61
Allowable Repetitions
No Concrete Shoulder 62
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192 2.79
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9 920,000 2.3
48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0
63
Design 1 – Four-lane rural interstate, dowels, asphalt shoulder
9.5 X
130 X
650 20
1.2
192 2.79
0.295
52 62.4 21,320 1,100,000 1.9 920,000 2.3
48 57.6 42,870 unlimited 0.0 1,500,000 2.9
44 52.8 124,900 2,500,000 5.0
40 48.0 372,900 4,600,000 8.1
36 43.2 885,800 9,500,000 9.3
32 38.4 930,700 24,000,000 3.9
28 33.6 1,656,000 92,000,000 1.8
24 28.8 984,900 unlimited 0.0
= 38.9
64