BACKGROUND

The AASHTO ‘Guide for the Local Calibration of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide’ was first published in 2010.  Use of the guide by State DOTs and others has been minimal because of perceived difficulty in understanding the document.  Over two-thirds of State DOTs, as well as multiple Canadian province and other international transportation agencies, have already licensed the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software program.  A key component for successfully implementing the program is locally calibrating the design models for the materials, traffic and environmental conditions of the agency’s jurisdiction.  Revising the guide in a more understandable format will increase the desirability to use it and facilitate implementation of the Pavement ME Design program.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to critique the AASHTO ‘Guide for the Local Calibration of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide’ from the viewpoint of a general pavement design practitioner and make recommendations for areas to improve document comprehension.

STATUS

The project final report was submitted to Technical Subcommittee 5d of the AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements for review and potential action.