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Publication Number:  FHWA-HRT-18-055    Date:  March 2019
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-18-055
Date: March 2019

 

Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, Volume VII: Appendix F, Failure Analysis of Sloped Pavement Shoulders

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FOREWORD

The movement of superheavy loads (SHLs) on the Nation's highways is an increasingly common, vital economic necessity for many important industries, such as chemical, oil, electrical, and defense. Many superheavy components are extremely large and heavy (gross vehicle weights in excess of a few million pounds), and they often require specialized trailers and hauling units. At times, SHL vehicles have been assembled to suit the load being transported, and therefore, the axle configurations have not been standard or consistent. Accommodating SHL movements without undue damage to highway infrastructure requires the determination of whether the pavement is structurally adequate to sustain the SHL movement and protect any underground utilities. Such determination involves analysing the likelihood of instantaneous or rapid load-induced shear failure of the pavement structure.

The goal of this project was to develop a comprehensive analysis process for evaluating SHL movement on flexible pavements. As part of this project, a comprehensive mechanistic-based analysis approach consisting of several analysis procedures was developed for flexible pavement structures and documented in a 10-volume series of Federal Highway Administration reports—a final report and 9 appendices.(1-9) This is Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, Volume VII: Appendix F, Failure Analysis of Sloped Pavement Shoulders, and it details the method developed for investigating the stability of sloped pavement shoulders under SHL-vehicle movements. It also presents verification of the proposed approach using the measurements obtained from tests on full-scale pavement structures. This report is intended for use by highway agency pavement engineers responsible for assessing the structural adequacy of pavements in the proposed route and identifying mitigation strategies, where warranted, in support of the agency's response to SHL-movement permit requests.

Cheryl Allen Richter, P.E., Ph.D.
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

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Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-18-055
2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle
Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, Volume VII: Appendix F, Failure Analysis of Sloped Pavement Shoulders
5. Report Date
March 2019
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s)
Hadi Nabizadeh (ORCID: 0000-0001-8215-1299), Raj V. Siddharthan (ORCID: 0000-0002-3847-7934), Sherif Elfass (ORCID: 0000-0003-3401-6513), and Elie Y. Hajj (ORCID: 0000-0001-8568-6360)
8. Performing Organization Report No.
WRSC-UNR-201710-01F
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Nevada
1664 North Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89557
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
11. Contract or Grant No.
DTFH61-13-C-00014
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Federal Highway Administration
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Final Report; August 2013-July 2018
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
HRDI-20
15. Supplementary Notes
Nadarajah Sivaneswaran (HRDI-20; ORCID: 0000-0003-0287-664X), Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, served as the Contracting Officer's Representative.
16. Abstract
The movement of superheavy loads (SHLs) on the Nation's highways is an increasingly common, vital economic necessity for many important industries, such as chemical, oil, electrical, and defense. SHL hauling units are much larger in size and weight than standard trucks. SHL gross vehicle weights may be in excess of a few million pounds, so they often require specialized trailers and components with nonstandard spacing between tires and axles. Accommodating SHL-vehicle movements requires determining whether pavement is structurally adequate and analyzing the likelihood of instantaneous or rapid load-induced shear failure. As part of the Federal Highway Administration project, Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, a method of investigating the stability of a sloped pavement shoulder under an SHL-vehicle movement was developed by modifying the well-accepted wedge method. This new method, with the use of 3D-Move Analysis software, is capable of considering a layered medium with distinct layer-stiffness values along with the unconventional SHL-vehicle loading configuration.(10) To account for the existence of a sloped pavement shoulder in 3D-Move Analysis, computed SHL vehicle-induced stresses are modified using a stress adjustment factor for a sloped shoulder (SAFShoulder). SAFShoulder was determined based on results from large-scale pavement experiments conducted in this study.
17. Key Words
Superheavy load, flexible pavement, large-scale testing, instrumentation, pavement shoulder, slope stability
18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.
https://www.ntis.gov
19. Security Classif. (of this report)
Unclassified
20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified
21. No. of Pages
51
22. Price
N/A
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized.
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center | 6300 Georgetown Pike | McLean, VA | 22101