ABSTRACT
The major distresses of concrete pavement against which the pavement is designed consist of cracking, faulting, pumping, and punchouts. Degradation of smoothness and ride quality over time will severely affect the functionality of the pavement. These distresses are commonly caused by excessive stresses, strains, and deflections. The goal of the mechanistic-empirical (M-E) approach to pavement design is to reduce these stresses, strains, and deflections and maintain the pavement below a “critical” threshold to minimize deterioration and prevent failure.
