New Hungarian Mechanistic-Empirical Design Procedure for Asphalt Pavements

Abstract

Certain elements of the currently used Hungarian pavement design method are based on the mechanistic-empirical pavement design principles, although they are not always readily implemented in practice. When designing a new pavement structure, it is only possible to select predetermined composition from a catalogue. The use of the Hungarian design catalogue is unquestionably comfortable, but nowadays special requirements (e.g. economy, sustainability) have been formulated as well. Those requirements increasingly call for the development of a method that can be used under Hungarian conditions, which can provide for the employment of various material properties. Instead of offering a predefined solution it needs to provide a useful tool for designers to enable realistic comparisons of engineering alternatives. This paper introduces the results of an ongoing research that aims to provide an alternative procedure for the design of newly constructed asphalt pavements. It establishes the framework for better characterization of the material properties of the natural subgrade and bound pavement layers compared to the utilization of predetermined designs. It also provides opportunity to consider local, environmental, geographical and other conditions and innovative building and technology capabilities.