Sensitivity Analysis of Pavement Performance Predicted using the M-E PDG
Open Access
- Graduate Program:
- Civil Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- Dr Ghassan R Chehab, Thesis Advisor
- Ghassan R Chehab, Thesis Advisor
- Shelley Marie Stoffels, Thesis Advisor
- Keywords:
- MEPDG Sensitivity Study
- MEPDG Statistical Analysis
- Abstract:
- The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-E PDG) was developed by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program to improve the design and performance of the national highway system. The design procedure used in the guide is a major improvement over the previous design methods in terms of using parameters related to construction and operation of a pavement to predict the performance over a specified design life. These parameters must be entered in the M-E PDG software as input, which requires the user to gather a large amount of data. Therefore, sensitivity study of the input parameters on a pavement’s predicted performance is necessary for standardizing data collection and documentation by a pavement design agency, as well as improving pavement design with efficient utilization of resources to maximize performance. Evaluation of currently followed design procedures by the New England state agencies, evolution of a data collection methodology for Level 2 and 3 design and study of sensitivity of the collected data conforming to specified tolerances are conducted as part of the research presented in this thesis.