Determination of the influencing parameters that the service life of flexible pavements

In this study, it is aimed to make analyzes to determine the parameters that affect the deformation of the road in the best way so that the flexible pavements can serve without damage or with the least damage throughout their service life. The mechanistic-empirical design method, which is compatible with the change of parameters that have an important place in the pavement design and directly affects the results, such as load, loading area, loading conditions, environmental conditions and the definition of layer materials, and which is a frequently used pavement design method recently, has been used. In mechanistic-empirical (M-A) design methods, parameters such as tire load, environmental effects and material properties are used in the stress and strain calculations using basic material mechanics, and the life of the road is estimated with these mechanical response values. In the M-A design method, KENPAVE software developed by Yang H. Huang was used to determine the mechanical responses of the pavement under load. The most common deteriorations and deformations in pavements include rutting and fatigue cracks under the asphalt layer. In the study, the effects of differences in axle load, modulus of elasticity, layer thickness and pavement interruption, which are directly related to pavement performance, on road deterioration were investigated. For this, three different pavement sections with different layer structures were used. By changing the wheel load, elasticity modulus and layer thickness values, different combinations were created and analyzes were made with the help of the KENPAVE program. As a result of the analyzes made, it was understood that the increase in the elasticity modulus greatly affected the road life and the base layer among the layers contributed the most to this effect. While the increases applied to all layers caused an increase in the life of the road, some increases in the sub-base layer caused a decrease in the life of the road. With the increase in axle load, similar reductions in road life were observed. The greatest effect on road life was achieved by increasing the layer thickness of the pavement layer. Increasing the modulus of elasticity of the sub-base layer did not have a significant effect on the increase in road life.