Evaluation and Remedial Measures on Premature Failure of Roads in India

Abstract

The current study aims at evaluating the causes of premature failure of roads in India by field investigation along with suggesting remedial measures to mitigate the earlier deterioration with a cost-effective analytical approach. From the initial field investigation near the Satara District, the results show that the major failure of low-volume roads (LVRs) is mainly due to the heavy and overloaded vehicles which take the LVRs running parallel to the highways to avoid fee collection booths. In addition, the data related to the average annual rainfall, annual temperature, groundwater patterns, and soil patterns reported from the field investigation shows the diversities in natural and weather conditions that are the major cause of premature failure of LVRs. Along with field investigation, a two-dimensional finite element analysis is performed after authenticating the methodology with the reported case history to obtain the pavement response on critical parameters for variation in thickness and material properties of various constituent layers. The calculated results are then included as inputs to calculate the fatigue and rutting lives in terms of number of standard axles. The scope of work is extended to find the unknown nodal values along the decisive factors such as temperature, seepage pressures at various points, and gradients with the application of analytical tools. The results show that the weather changes and the natural parameters along with the overloading conditions are the major causes of premature failure of LVRs in India. Thus, to mitigate the earlier deterioration, it is suggested to have separate designs at various locations after finding the uncalculated nodal values along with the decisive factors such as temperature, seepage pressures at various points, and gradients with the application of the analytical tool.