Shape characteristics of pavement performance curves

Abstract

This paper illustrates by means of the AASHTO pavement performance model how pavement performance curves in time domain vary with the structural characteristics of pavement, and the growth pattern of load applications. The shapes of performance curves of rigid pavements, and flexible pavements with SN<3.25, are convex regardless of the growth rate of load applications (where SN=structural number of flexible pavement). For flexible pavements with SN>3.25, the shapes of their performance curves are affected greatly by the growth pattern of traffic loadings. Some variations in the actual shape and deterioration rate of the performance curves of in-service pavements are also caused by effects of environmental factors, material aging, pavement maintenance, and changes in the rate of traffic load applications.