Structural road design aims to ensure the
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
is strong enough for the expected number of vehicles in a certain number of years. The input of a calculation is the number expected of vehicles (e.g. 10,000,000) divided in groups (e.g. trucks, vans, cars) and the number of years that the road has to function before the road structure has to be fully renewed (e.g. 20 years).
The given example of 20 years does not mean that there is no maintenance during this period. There is a certain amount of maintenance, but it can be scheduled and is low.
For asphalt, the
Shell pavement design method The Shell pavement design method was used in many countries for the design of new pavements made of asphalt. First published in 1963, it was the first mechanistic design method, providing a procedure that was no longer based on codification of histo ...
is often used.
See also
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Road traffic control
: ''For the road traffic science, see various articles under Road traffic management.''
Road traffic control involves directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic around a construction zone, accident or other road disruption, thus ensuring the safety ...
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Geometric design of roads
The geometric design of roads is the branch of highway engineering concerned with the positioning of the physical elements of the roadway according to standards and constraints. The basic objectives in geometric design are to optimize efficienc ...
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Road surface
A road surface (British English), or pavement (American English), is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past, gravel road surfaces, hoggin, cobbles ...
References
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165635/http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/design.htm - The Idiots' Guide to Highways Maintenance
*http://www.cshrp.org/products/techbr-23.pdf Pavement Structural Design Practices Across Canada
*https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/26992/Haul_Road_Design_Guidelines.pdf?sequence=1 - GUIDELINES FOR MINE HAUL ROAD DESIGN
Pavements
Pavement engineering
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