Dimensioning of road pavements

The purpose of pavement design is to determine the nature and thickness of the layers that make up the pavement, so that it can withstand the multiple stresses to which it will be subjected during its "service life", or rather, in today's terminology, its "design life".

This document is organized into 11 sections dealing successively with :

• main stresses and dimensioning methods ;

• axle and vehicle weights. Regulatory aspects ;

• actual expenses ;

• general information on pavement design ;

• general information on the french approach to pavement design ;

• French sizing method approach ;

• 1998 Catalogue structures ;

• the main changes introduced by the French pavement design standard NF P 98-086 ;

• design of low-traffic pavements ;

• changes brought about by the GTR 2023 guide to earthworks, embankments and subgrades;

• other dimensioning methods.

This new version of document [C 4 316] has been developed to :

• take into account the new rules for pavement design and dimensioning defined in standard NF P 98-086 "Chaussées, Terrassements. Dimensioning and terminology. Structural design of new pavements",

• harmonize with the new sizing guide for low-traffic pavements, to be published by IDRRIM in 2019,

• incorporate new terminology and soil classification in line with the new GTR (version 2023) and the new soil classification standard NF P 11-300 (published in 2024).

• incorporate the new concept of composite pavements comprising a concrete surfacing and a gravel-bitumen base ( [C 4 317] ).