Jointed Concrete Pavement Mechanistic Design – An Approach to ReLiability Calibration

The design of jointed concrete pavement (JCP) using mechanistic-empirical concepts must incorporate a systems approach in considering material and traffic variability with respect to design and calibration in a mathematically consistent manner. Calibration procedures are necessary to insure the prerequisite accuracy in the design calculation and estImate of pavernelil. peIIuIIIIdlIlx. This paper illustrates these concepts using a mechanistic cracking model, which provides an expected value for the failure mode of slab cracking. The purpose behind the determination of rationally based reliability and calibration are best served when factors consider the "underlying" mechanism relative to the development of individually considered pavement distresses. The process of design calibration inherently stands out as a key ingredient to successfully applying the design results to actual performance standards.