Development of Time–Depth–Damage Functions for Flooded Flexible Pavements

Abstract

The first step toward building pavement structures that are resilient to flooding is to have a proper understanding of the impact of inundation on the pavement. Depth-damage functions have been developed and are widely used to quantify flood-induced damage to buildings. However, such damage functions do not exist for roadway pavements. The objective of this study is to develop a methodological framework to model postflooding road damage by identifying the importance of several parameters including flood duration, flood depth, flood pattern (including real flood data), transfer functions, pavement materials, and analysis location. Pavement serviceability and costs are introduced into the evaluation as well. The long-term goal is a tool for decision makers to use in planning and management of flooding events for more resilient pavements and allocation of budgets. It is established that the most important parameters that should be accounted for by decision makers are the flood duration, combination of the materials, critical location on the roadway (both vertical and lateral), and use of appropriate transfer functions. Opening the roadway to traffic immediately after the floodwater recedes will lead to earlier and more significant deterioration of the pavement and more costly maintenance and reconstruction.