Design of Pavement Structures: The French Technical Guide

Abstract

Until recently in France the design of pavement structures was specified in catalogs of standard structures in which course thicknesses are fixed according to the traffic category and subgrade load-bearing capacity. This type of document is appropriate when the constituent materials of the pavements and their mechanical performance are predefined and investment strategies are firmly established. During the past 10 years the technical and economic context in France has changed considerably. The standardization of road products and materials has introduced material classes characterized by their mechanical performance, and road management has been transferred from state to local authorities and has been accompanied by a differentiation in the various owners' investment and maintenance strategies. Catalogs of existing pavement structures have had to be supplemented through an approach that made it possible to set the parameters for the mechanical properties of materials and pavement investment strategies. The publication of the French technical guide for the design of pavement structures serves as such a supplement. This manual makes explicit the mechanistic approach in use for many years in France. The basic concepts, design criteria, and application of this method are described, and examples for asphalt and cement-concrete pavements are provided.