Structural Pavement

[gtrainor]

I have seen the term "Structural Pavement". Can anyone tell what is the difference between regular and "Structural" pavement?

 

[pmkPE]

"structural" is usually understood. it is pavement that is designed to carry specified loadings over soils having known mechanical properties/characteristics. your state DOT should have reference to acceptable pavement design manuals. I am not at my office but if you respond to the post when I return to my office I will make a note of the copy that we have in our office.

 

[gtrainor]

So the term structural is implied if it references design callouts such as ...grade preparation, base course thickness, compaction, thickness of binder and surface, and other design criteria, correct? If so, maybe that's why I was confused when I would hear the term and then not hear it when referencing the same design. Thanks PmkPE, but we have pavement design manuals here, I was just thrown by the term.

 

[pmkPE]

Pavement design is very similar to foundation design. Only moving loads are the norm without significant dead loads. The name of the manual that I was referring to is the "ASSHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures".