PITTRIGID ME: Simplified Mechanistic-Empirical Design Tool for Pennsylvania Rigid Pavements Design and Analysis

Abstract

To accelerate the implementation of the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) in Pennsylvania and take advantage of locally calibrated mechanistic-empirical models for pavement performance and design, a simplified mechanistic-empirical design method and a localized design tool were developed for Pennsylvania concrete pavements. The new software tool, PittRigid ME, was developed based on the factorial of pavement performance simulations using AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software version 2.5.4. The developed procedure restricts design input parameters to the most influential and relevant for Pennsylvania conditions. PittRigid ME matches the Pavement ME predicted performance at a fraction of the computational cost. It can be used to predict pavement performance (i.e., fatigue cracking and joint faulting) or to determine the required concrete slab thickness and dowel diameter to satisfy given performance criteria and reliability levels. PittRigid ME simplifies the design process and reduces potential design errors resulting from improper use of the Pavement ME software. The framework described in this paper can be used for the development of a similar tool for any transportation agency in the United States.