Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi – Pavement

Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala road Design Report
near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC
mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

Detailed Project Report

Construction of four Lane Greenfiield
Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of
Amritsar with Delhi –Amritsar-Katra
Expressway from Isharwal village near
24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala
road near Harsh China village Chainage
99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of
Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC mode Under
Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of
Punjab.

(AMRITSAR CONNECTIVITY)

Pavement Design Report

Arpil-2021

for National Highways Authority of India

Feedback Infra Private Limited
NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi – Pavement
Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala road Design Report
near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC
mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 PRELIMINARY DESIGNS .................................................................................................... 1
1.1 PAVEMENT DESIGN ................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1 General ..................................................................................................... 1
1.1.2 Design Inputs ............................................................................................. 1
1.1.2.1 Design Philosophy ............................................................................ 1
1.1.2.2 Design Life ....................................................................................... 2
1.1.2.3 Traffic Homogeneous Sections ........................................................... 2
1.1.2.4 Traffic Projections (AADT).................................................................. 2
1.1.2.5 Vehicle Damage Factors (VDFs) .......................................................... 3
1.1.2.6 Lane Distribution Factors ................................................................... 5
1.1.2.7 Traffic Loading (MSA) ........................................................................ 5
1.1.2.8 Design CBR ...................................................................................... 6
1.1.3 Pavement Design for Main Carriageway ........................................................ 6
1.1.3.1 Type of Pavement............................................................................. 6
1.1.3.2 Design Approach for Flexible Pavement Design .................................... 7
1.1.4 Perpetual Pavement with Non-Bituminous Base and Sub-base ........................ 9
1.1.4.1 Proposed Crust Composition............................................................ 10
1.1.5 Rigid Pavement Design .............................................................................. 10
1.1.5.1 Axle Load Spectrum ........................................................................ 11
1.1.5.2 Design of Sub-grade and Sub-base .................................................... 11
1.1.5.3 Dry Lean Concrete .......................................................................... 12
1.1.5.4 Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) .................................................... 12
1.1.5.5 Proposed Rigid Pavement Design ..................................................... 12
1.1.6 Pavement Design for Proposed Connecting/Service/Slip Roads ...................... 12
1.1.7 Recommended Pavement Designs .............................................................. 13

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1-1: Traffic Homogeneous Sections ............................................................................ 2

Table 1-2: Summary of Base Year Commercial Vehicles (2018) ........................................... 2
Table 1-3: Summary of Calculated Vehicle Damage Factors (VDFs) .................................... 4
Table 1-4: Summary of Adopted Vehicle Damage Factors (VDFs) ........................................ 4
Table 1-5: Adopted Lane Distribution Factors (LDFs)............................................................ 5
Table 1-6: Summary of Obtained and Adopted MSA ............................................................. 6
Table 1-8: Calculated & Proposed Rigid Pavement Design ................................................. 12
Table 1-10: Recommended Pavement Design for Main Carriageway ................................. 13
Table 1-11: Recommended Pavement Design for Connecting/Service & Slip Road Sections
........................................................................................................................................... 14

i NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi – Pavement
Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala road Design Report
near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC
mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1-1: Summary of Base Year Traffic (Commercial Vehicles) ........................................ 3

Figure 1-2 Summary of Adopted VDF Values ....................................................................... 5
Figure 1-3: Stresses and Strains in a Flexible Pavement ...................................................... 7
Figure 1-4: Flow Chart for Rigid Pavement Design ............................................................. 11

ii NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi – Pavement
Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala road Design Report
near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC
mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Full Form

AADT Annual Average Daily Traffic
AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
ADT Average Daily Traffic
AIL Aggregate Interlayer
BA Borrow Area
BC Bituminous Concrete
BIS Bureau of Indian Standards
C/w Carriageway
CBR California Bearing Ratio
CTB Cement Treated Base
CTSB Cement Treated Sub-base
CTVC Classified Traffic Volume Count
CVPD Commercial Vehicles Per Day
CVs Commercial Vehicles
DBM Dense Bituminous Macadam
DLC Dry Lean Concrete
DPR Detailed Project Report
ESA Equivalent Standard Axles
ESAL Equivalent Single Axle Load
FIPL Feedback Infra Private Limited
GL Ground Level
GR Growth Rate
GSB Granular Sub-base
GW Ground Water
HFL High Flood Level
HYSD High Yield Strength Deformed
INR Indian Rupee
IRC Indian Road Congress
IRC: SP Indian Roads Congress: Special Publication
IS Indian Standard
Km Kilometre
Kmph Kilometer Per Hour
LCV Light Commercial Vehicle
LHS Left Hand Side
LL Liquid Limit
LMV Light Motor Vehicle
MAV Multi Axle Vehicle
MDD Maximum Dry Density
MR Major Road
MSA Million Standard Axle
MT Metric Ton

iii NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi – Pavement
Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala road Design Report
near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC
mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

Abbreviation Full Form

NH National Highway
NHAI National Highways Authority of India
NHDP National Highways Development Project
O&M Operation and Maintenance
OMC Optimum Moisture Content
PCC Plain Cement Concrete
PCU Passenger Car Unit
PI Plasticity Index
PL Plastic Limit
PQC Pavement Quality Concrete
PROW Proposed Right of Way
PS Paved Shoulder
PWD Public Works Department
RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete
RHS Right Hand Side
RO Regional Office
RoW Right of Way
SH State Highway
SP Special Publication
SR State Road
VDF Vehicle Damage Factor
VG Viscosity Grade
WC Wearing Course
WMM Wet Mix Macadam

iv NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi – Pavement
Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala road Design Report
near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa Connctivity) on EPC
mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

DISCLAIMER

This document has been prepared by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and its
consultants for the internal consumption and use by the NHAI. This document has been
prepared based on the information available from public domain sources, primary and
secondary research and assessment of the NHAI and its consultants, site visit etc. The
purpose of this report is to finalise alignment for the development of Delhi-Ludhiana-
Amritsar-Katra Expressway having an approximate length of 600 Km (the "Project") including
spurs.

It is however, to be noted that this report has been prepared with assumptions and estimates
considered to be appropriate and reasonable, which cannot be guaranteed. There might be
inadvertent omissions/errors/aberrations owing to situations and conditions that are out of
the control of NHAI and its consultants. Further, the report has been prepared on a best-
effort basis, based on inputs considered appropriate for the report.

Neither this document nor any of its contents can be used for any purpose other than stated
above, without prior WRITTEN CONSENT from NHAI.

v NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

1 PRELIMINARY DESIGNS

1.1 PAVEMENT DESIGN

1.1.1 General

The project highway envisages Greenfield alignment with a total length of 396.874 Kms. The
project road is proposed as four lane divided carriageway with paved shoulders. The design
of new pavement is done based on the evaluation of the soil properties of embankment soil
and borrow material, consideration of axle loads and design traffic.

The general procedure for design of pavement for Greenfield highway has been followed as
per the guidelines of IRC: 37-2018 “Guidelines for the design of flexible pavements”. The
rigid pavements are designed as per the guidelines of IRC: 58-2015 “Guidelines for the
design of rigid pavements for highways”. The pavement design of the Project highway
conforms to the standards set out in the Expressway Manual (IRC SP 99: 2013).

1.1.2 Design Inputs

1.1.2.1 Design Philosophy

To decide the best pavement alternative for a particular project, pavement type selection
process called pavement option study has been undertaken. This process helps to
determine the most cost-effective pavement type capable of supporting anticipated traffic
under existing environmental conditions and providing safety and driving comfort to the
travelling public.

Composite pavements, which are combination of rigid base layer with flexible surface
course, are increasingly considered a viable alternative on high-volume Highway Projects. A
composite pavement could potentially meet all design considerations and become a feasible
alternative. Further, it allows designing perpetual pavements for longer periods, which the
design life is greater than 50 years.

The following options have been considered for new pavement design.

Option-I : Flexible pavement with granular base and sub-bases,

Option-II : Flexible pavement with Cement Treated Sub-base (CTSB)
Option-III : Flexible Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Cement
Treated Sub-base Layers (CTSB)
Option-IV : Flexible Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Granular
Sub-base Layers (GSB)
Option-V : Perpetual Pavement with Cement Treated Sub-base (CTSB)
Option-VI : Perpetual Pavement With granular base and sub-bases
Option-VII : Perpetual Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Cement Treated Sub-base Layers (CTSB)
Option-VIII : Perpetual Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Granular Sub-base Layers (GSB)
Option-IX : Rigid Pavement

The following IRC codes are considered for the pavement design:

1 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

IRC: 37 – 2018, “Tentative Guidelines for the Design of Flexible Pavements”

IRC: 58 – 2015, “Guidelines for the Design of Plain Jointed Rigid Pavements for
Highways”.

1.1.2.2 Design Life

The flexible pavement design has been carried out in accordance with IRC: 37-2018. As per
clause 4.3.1 of IRC: 37-2018, a design life of 30 years has been considered for flexible
pavement design options (option I to IV). Design life for perpetual pavement (Option-V to
VIII) considered is minimum 50 years (minimum) and similarly, design life for rigid pavement
design (Option-IX) considered as 30 years. The base year of traffic estimation considered is
2018 and the proposed Highway shall be opened to traffic in the year of 2023.

1.1.2.3 Traffic Homogeneous Sections

Based on detailed reconnaissance of the project highway for traffic intensity and
composition, the project highway is divided into 20 traffic homogeneous sections. The details
of proposed traffic homogeneous sections are given in table below:

Table 1-1: Traffic Homogeneous Sections

Homogeneous
From (Km) To (Km) Length (Km)
Section
1 24.000 42.480 18.480
II 42.480 68.800 26.320
III 68.800 70.300 1.500
IV 70.300 76.116 5.816
V 76.116 79.650 3.534
VI 79.650 87.470 7.820
VII 87.470 99.020 11.550

1.1.2.4 Traffic Projections (AADT)

The design traffic has been assessed by carrying out traffic surveys on alternate/parallel
roads along the proposed alignment. The entire proposed project highway is green field and
hence, diverted traffic has been calculated and projected for the design period. The detailed
traffic surveys and analysis for the project road have been given in Chapter-7. For pavement
design, commercial vehicles of laden weight more than 3 tonnes have been considered.
Such vehicles consisted of Buses, LCVs, 2-Axle Trucks, 3-Axle Trucks and Multi Axle
Trucks. The summary of Base year (2018) traffic of commercial vehicles is given in table
below and graphically shown in figure below; detailed Traffic Projections for design period is
given as Annexure 10.2.1.

Table 1-2: Summary of Base Year Commercial Vehicles (2018)

Homogeneous Mini Total

Bus LMV LCV 2 Axle 3 Axle MAV
Sections Bus (Nos)
I 105 410 905 464 311 230 186 2611
II 104 409 814 462 310 229 186 2514
III 19 148 978 349 264 337 451 2546

2 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

Homogeneous Mini Total

Bus LMV LCV 2 Axle 3 Axle MAV
Sections Bus (Nos)
IV 23 164 1217 429 306 398 508 3045
V 23 164 1220 429 306 399 508 3049
VI 10 30 1258 380 197 312 290 2477
VII 10 28 1253 376 195 309 288 2459

1400

1200
I
1000 II

800 III
IV
600
V
400
VI
200 VII

0
Mini Bus Bus LMV LCV 2 Axle 3 Axle MAV

Figure 1-1: Summary of Base Year Traffic (Commercial Vehicles)

1.1.2.5 Vehicle Damage Factors (VDFs)

The vehicle damage factor (VDF) is a multiplier to convert the number of commercial
vehicles of different axle loads and axle configuration to the number of standard axle load
repetitions. It is defined as the equivalent number of standard axles per commercial vehicle.
Universally accepted standard axle load weighs 8,160 Kg. ESAL is determined by the
relationships recommended in IRC: 37-2018 ‘Tentative guidelines for the design of Flexible
Pavements’ and an excerpt is given below:

Single axle with single wheel on either side: Equivalency Factor = (Axle load in kN /65)4
Single axle with dual wheels on either side: Equivalency Factor = (Axle load in kN /80)4
Tandem axle with dual wheels on either side: Equivalency Factor = (Axle load in kN /148)4
Tridem axles with dual wheels on either side: Equivalency Factor = (Axle load in kN /224)4

The relationship is referred to as the ‘Fourth Power Rule’, which states that the damaging
effect of an axle load increases as the fourth power of the weight of an axle. In order to
convert axle loads from survey data into ESAL, each axle of each category of vehicle is
multiplied by equivalency factor of that type of axle. The output is the ‘damage’ caused by
that particular axle on the pavement. Damages by all axles are then added to find the
cumulative damage by that type of vehicle. The VDF is calculated by using the following
equation:

Cumulative Damage
VDF =
Sample Size

3 NHAI
 Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

Axle load survey has been carried out at 10 locations on parallel roads along the proposed
alignment. From the axle load analysis overloading is observed at all the locations except
two locations. This is mainly due to the transportation of minerals like granite, aggregates
and marbles etc. Once this project highway becomes operational, the overloading shall be
restricted by penalizing the overloading trucks by establishing the weigh in motion (WIM)
systems. Therefore, the overloading shall be reduced gradually to avoid the penalties.
Hence, the observed axle loads are restricted to legal limits and further 20% overloading
over the legal limits. The VDFs are calculated for the following three options:

Option-I: Actual VDF as per axle load survey

Option-II: VDF with restricted axle loads at Legal Limits (Legal Limits considered as
per MoRT&H Circular (Circular No. RT11028/11/2017-MVL)
Option-III: VDF with restricted axle load of 20% overloading over Legal Limits

Detail VDF calculations are given as Annexure 10.2.2. The summary of Calculated VDFs is
given in table below:

Table 1-3: Summary of Calculated Vehicle Damage Factors (VDFs)

Direction

2-Axle

3-Axle
LCV-4

LCV-6

MAV
Bus

Type of
Vehicle Section
Jalandhar to
Amritsar Section
(Amritsar
Actual VDF Connectivity road) Both 0.78 0.61 0.92 2.82 6.4 15.75
Jalandhar to
Amritsar Section
VDF at (Amritsar
Legal Limits Connectivity road) Both 0.78 0.38 0.79 2.13 2.4 6.34
Jalandhar to
VDF at 20% Amritsar Section
over Legal (Amritsar
Limits Connectivity road) Both 0.78 0.47 0.92 2.87 4.06 11.01

Summary of adopted VDF values are given in table below: and graphically shown in figure
below:

Table 1-4: Summary of Adopted Vehicle Damage Factors (VDFs)

Vehicle Type Bus LCV-4 LCV-6 2-Axle 3-Axle MAV

Section: From km.24.000 to Km. 99.000
VDF at 20% over Legal Limits 0.78 0.47 0.92 2.87 4.06 11.01

4 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

VDF at 20% over Legal Limits

12

10

6
VDF
4

0
Bus LCV-4 LCV-6 2-Axle 3-Axle MAV

Figure 1-2 Summary of Adopted VDF Values

1.1.2.6 Lane Distribution Factors

Lane distribution factors have been considered as per clause 4.5.1.5 of IRC: 37-2018 and
the same are given in table below:

Table 1-5: Adopted Lane Distribution Factors (LDFs)

Design Period LDF

Sl. No Description Considered
From (Year) To (Year)
(%)
1 4 Lane Divided Carriageway 2023 2052 75

1.1.2.7 Traffic Loading (MSA)

Design traffic loading in million standard axles (MSA) has been estimated for design life of
30 years (post construction).

The design traffic is considered in terms of the cumulative number of standard axles to be
carried during the design life of the proposed highway. This can be computed by using
following equation:

N = 365*[(1+r)n-1]*A*D*F

Where,
N - Cumulative number of standard axles to be catered for
in the design in terms of MSA
A - Initial traffic in the years of completion of construction in
Terms of the number of commercial vehicles per day

5 NHAI
 Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

D - Lane distribution factor

F - Vehicle Damage Factor
n - Design life in years
r - Annual growth rate of commercial vehicles

The traffic in the year of completion is estimated by using following formula:

A =P (1r/100)x

Where,
P - Number of commercial vehicles as per count
x - Number of years between the count and the year of
completion of construction.

The summary of obtained and adopted MSA is given in table below:

Table 1-6: Summary of Obtained and Adopted MSA

Obtained MSA Final

MSA
(20%
Length 20% over Over Adopted
Section From To Actual Legal Limits
(Km) Legal Limits Legal MSA
Limits
30 Years 30 Years 30 Years 30 Years
I 22.063 42.480 20.417 79 38 56
56 60
II 42.480 67.800 25.320 78 38 55
III 67.800 70.300 2.500 135 57 91
IV 70.300 76.116 5.816 156 65 104
V 76.116 79.650 3.534 156 65 104 104 105
VI 79.650 87.430 7.780 103 43 68
VII 87.430 99.020 11.583 102 43 68

1.1.2.8 Design CBR

Based on Laboratory test results of identified borrow area soil, the available CBR varies
between 6.90% and 12.0%.
The borrow areas soil having CBR is equal to 12% is considered for the sub-grade. The
effective sub-grade design CBR considered for pavement design is 12%. Contractor is
required to identify the borrow area locations for the sub-grade soil having CBR greater than
12% to get the effective sub-grade design CBR of 12%.

1.1.3 Pavement Design for Main Carriageway

1.1.3.1 Type of Pavement

Pavement design has been carried out for the following pavement types and recommended
based on cost comparison, life cycle cost analysis and construction feasibility.

6 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

Option-I : Flexible pavement with granular base and sub-bases,

Option-II : Flexible pavement with Cement Treated Sub-base (CTSB)
Option-III : Flexible Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Cement
Treated Sub-base Layers (CTSB)
Option-IV : Flexible Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Granular
Sub-base Layers (GSB)
Option-V : Perpetual Pavement with Cement Treated Sub-base (CTSB)
Option-VI : Perpetual Pavement with Non-Bituminous Base and sub-bases
Option-VII : Perpetual Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Cement Treated Sub-base Layers (CTSB)
Option-VIII : Perpetual Pavement with Cement Treated Base (CTB) &
Granular Sub-base Layers (GSB)
Option-IX : Rigid Pavement

Pavement design has been carried out for the above-mentioned pavement options and life
cycle cost analysis has been carried out. As per life cycle cost analysis, the cost of all the
pavement options falls within 20% range. Considering safeguarding the depleting natural
resources, project location and the strategic importance of the Project Highway which is a
major connecting link from Delhi to Katra, Perpetual flexible pavement for a design life of 50
years (minimum) is recommended for the Project Highway.

1.1.3.2 Design Approach for Flexible Pavement Design

Pavement Model: Flexible pavement is modelled as an elastic multilayer structure. Stresses

and strains at critical locations are computed using a linear layered elastic model. The stress
analysis software IITPAVE has been used for computation of stresses and strains in flexible
pavements. Tensile strain, εt, at the bottom of the bituminous layer and the vertical sub-
grade strain εv, at top of the sub-grade are conventionally considered as critical parameters
for pavement design to limit cracking and rutting in the bituminous layers and non-
bituminous layers respectively. The different stresses and strains in a flexible pavement are
shown in figure below:

Figure 1-3: Stresses and Strains in a Flexible Pavement

7 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

IRC method for pavement design is based on limiting the vertical compressive strain on top
of sub-grade which results in permanent deformation of the pavement and the horizontal
tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer which results in cracking of the pavement.
The relationships governing the above two pavement failure criteria are expressed as:

Fatigue Model: With every load repetition, the tensile strain developed at the bottom of
bituminous layer develops micro cracks, which go on widening and expanding till the load
repetitions are large enough for the cracks to propagate to the surface over an area of the
surface that is unacceptable from long term serviceability of the pavement point of view. The
phenomenon is called fatigue of the bituminous layer and the number of load repetitions in
terms of standard axles that cause fatigue denotes the fatigue life of the pavement. The two
equations for the conventional bituminous mixes designed are given below:

Nf = 1.6064xCx 10-4 (1/εt) 3.89* (1/MR) 0.854 (80% Reliability)

Nf = 0.5161xc x 10-4 (1/εt) 3.89* (1/MR) 0.854 (90% Reliability)

Where,
Nf = Fatigue life in number of standard axles
εt = Maximum tensile strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer,
and
MR = Resilient modulus of the bituminous layer
C = 10M, and M=4.84(Vb/ (Va+Vb)-0.69)

Corresponding to the values of Va and Vb as stated above the above equation for 80%
reliability is as given ;Va= 4.5% and Vb = 10.5% and 90% reliability is given Va= 3.5% and Vb
= 11.5% has been considered for Pavement Design as per Clause12.3 IRC 37-2018.

Rutting Model: The model considers the vertical strain in sub-grade as the only variable for
rutting, which is a measure of bearing capacity of the sub-grade. The two-rutting equation for
80% and 90% reliability levels are given below;

N = 4.1656 x 10-8 (1/εv) 4.5337 - (80% Reliability Level)

N = 1.4100 x 10-8 (1/εv) 4.5337 - (90% Reliability Level)
Where,
N - Number of cumulative standard axles, and
εv - Vertical strain in the sub-grade

Fatigue performance models for Cement Treated Base (CTB)

Pavements with CTB layer, fatigue performance check for the CTB layer to be carried out as
per equation given below:

1) Fatigue Life in Terms of Standard Axles

[113000/E0.0804191)
N = RF
Ɛt

Where,
RF - Reliability factor for cementitious materials for fatigueagainst fatigue.
N - Fatigue life of the cementitious material

8 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

E - Elastic modulus of cementitious material

Ɛt - Tensile strain in the cementitious layer, microstrain

2) Fatigue Equation for Cumulative Damage Analysis

The fatigue life is given by following equation;

0.972 – (σt/MR/up)
Log Nfi =
0.0825
Where,
Nfi - Fatigue life in terms of cumulative number of axle load of class i
σt - Tensile stress under cementitious base layer.
MRup - 28 days flexural strength of the cementitious base.

The fatigue criterion is satisfied if Σ(Ni/Nfi) is less than 1, where Ni is the actual number of
axles of axle load of class i.

The rutting is more critical in sub-grade under the pavement crust and this will be initiated at
top of the sub-grade layer after repeated axle loads. Initiation of rutting happens when actual
vertical compressive strain exceeds the allowable vertical compressive strain at top of the
sub-grade layer.

1.1.4 Perpetual Pavement with Non-Bituminous Base and Sub-base

Decreasing natural resources and increasing construction and maintenance cost of highway
projects, the time has come to think beyond the conventional method of designs. Therefore,
the full depth bituminous pavement is considered as sustainable perpetual pavement for
heavy traffic and interest of socio-economic perspective.

Perpetual pavement is having thick bituminous layers, which do not undergo structural
damage for high traffic flows over the longer periods. Perpetual pavements are made up with
multiple layers of durable bitumen. The main aspect is to provide rut resistant, impermeable,
wear resistant and durable intermediate layers and fatigue resistant and durable base layers.
The bottom layer is designed to be strong but flexible to resist strains that could cause
cracks to form from the bottom up. Generally, this pavement type shall be designed for high
traffic volume and for longer design period i.e., greater than 50 years.

With this perpetual pavement, the traditional fatigue cracking is reduced, and pavement
distress is typically confined to the upper layer of the pavement structure. Therefore,
whenever surface distress reaches a critical level, an economical rehabilitation is required to
remove the distressed surface and resurfacing with an asphalt overlay or milling and relaying
of existing surface course.

The pavement structural layers proposed are Non-Bituminous Base and Sub-base,
Bituminous Surfacing comprising Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) & Stone Matrix
Asphalt (SMA).

IITPAVE software is used for strain calculations for this design. The allowable strains in the
pavement layers have been calculated in terms of two primary pavement failure modes:
fatigue cracking and rutting. The actual strains arising in the pavement layers due to traffic
loading have been calculated, assuming suitable thickness values for different pavement

9 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

layers. The assumed pavement crust is deemed to be safe for the design loads, if obtained
strains are lesser than the allowable strains.

1.1.4.1 Proposed Crust Composition

The summary of proposed flexible pavement design details with Non-Bituminous Base and
Sub-base is given in table below:

Table 1-7: Perpetual Pavement Design

Homogeneous Sections Km 24.000 to Km 99.020

Resilient Modulus of Bituminous Layers (MPa) 3000
PMB-40 (SMA)
Grade of Bitumen
VG-40 (DBM)
SMA 50
DBM 250
Proposed Crust
Non-bituminous Base Course 150
Composition (mm)
Sub-base Course 200
Total 650
Allowable Tensile Strain below the Bituminous Layers (εt) 8.00 X10-05
Actual Tensile Strain below the Bituminous Layers (εt) 7.80X10-05
Allowable Vertical Strain in the top of Sub-grade (εv) 2.00 X10-04
Actual Vertical Strain in the top of Sub-grade (εv) 1.54 X10-04

Sub-grade shall be used of 500 mm thickness with effective design CBR not less than 12%
and sub-base material of CBR not less than 30%. The pavement composition for paved
shoulders has been kept same with same specifications as those of the main carriageway.

1.1.5 Rigid Pavement Design

Rigid Pavement with tied concrete shoulder is considered for the design. The pavement has
been designed based on IRC: 58-2015 Guidelines for the Design of Pain Jointed Rigid
Pavements for Highways for a design life of 30 years. The design flow chart for rigid
pavement design is given in figure below:

10 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

Figure 1-4: Flow Chart for Rigid Pavement Design

1.1.5.1 Axle Load Spectrum

Axle load survey has been carried out at one locations and the respective axle load
spectrum is conisered for the design.

1.1.5.2 Design of Sub-grade and Sub-base

Effective Sub-grade Design CBR of 12% is considered for pavement design.

11 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

1.1.5.3 Dry Lean Concrete

Dry lean concrete of M-10 grade and 150 mm thickness with minimum 7-day compressive
strength of 7 MPa shall be provided as base for better load distribution, and better support
for concrete Paver.

Provide a debonding layer of polythene sheet of 125-micron thickness between DLC and
concrete slab.

1.1.5.4 Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC)

M-40 grade concrete has been considered for Pavement Quality Concrete. The 28-day
flexural strength of concrete shall not be less than 4.5 MPa.

The minimum characteristic flexural strength of concrete is to be achieved at site during

construction is 4.5 MPa by carrying out mix design for PQC. The minimum elastic modulus
of concrete is also to be achieved of 30000 MPa.

1.1.5.5 Proposed Rigid Pavement Design

The proposed rigid pavement crust composition is given in table below:

Table 1-87: Calculated & Proposed Rigid Pavement Design

Pavement Crust Calculated Thickness (mm)

Composition Recommended
for HS-I to HS-VII Thickness (mm)
VDF Actual
PQC 270 300
DLC 150 150
GSB 150 150
Total 580 600

Plain Dowel Bar Details 32mm Dia at 300 mm c/c, 500 mm long

Deformed Tie Bar Details 12mm Dia at 600mm c/c, 650 mm long

1.1.6 Pavement Design for Proposed Connecting/Service/Slip Roads

Flexible pavement with granular base and granular sub-base is considered for the
connecting/service and slip road sections along the project highway. 10 MSA has been
considered for service road/slip roads and connecting roads pavement design. The effective
sub-grade design CBR considered for the pavement design is 12%. The type and pavement
structural layers proposed are Granular Subbase (GSB), Wet Mix Macadam (WMM),
Bituminous Surfacing comprising Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) and Bituminous
Concrete (BC).

IITPAVE software is used for strain calculations of this design. The allowable strains in the
pavement layers have been calculated in terms of two primary pavement failure modes:

12 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

fatigue cracking and rutting. The actual strains arising in the pavement layers due to traffic
loading have been calculated, assuming suitable thickness values for different pavement
layers. The assumed pavement crust is deemed to be safe for the design loads, if obtained
strains are lesser than the allowable strains.

Proposed Crust Composition

The summary of proposed flexible pavement design details with granular base and granular
sub-base is given in table below.

Table 1-9: Flexible Pavement Design for Connecting/Service & Slip Road Sections

Homogeneous Sections Details

Resilient Modulus of Bituminous Layers (MPa) 2000
Adopted MSA 10
Grade of Bitumen VG-30
BC 40
DBM 50
Proposed Crust
WMM 250
Composition (mm)
GSB 200
Total 540
Allowable Tensile Strain below the Bituminous Layers (εt) 2.98E-04
Actual Tensile Strain below the Bituminous Layers (εt) 2.76E-04
Allowable Vertical Strain at top of Sub-grade (εv) 6.73E-04
Actual Vertical Strain at top of Sub-grade (εv) 3.51E-04

Sub-grade shall be used of 500 mm thickness with effective design CBR not less than 12%
and sub-base material of CBR not less than 30%. The pavement composition for paved
shoulders has been kept same with same specifications as those of the main carriageway.

1.1.7 Recommended Pavement Designs

The summary of recommended perpetual flexible pavement crust composition for main
carriageway including ramps is given in table below.

Table 1-80: Recommended Pavement Design for Main Carriageway

Recommended Crust
Pavement Composition Pavement Type
Thickness (mm)

Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) 50

Dense Bituminous Concrete (DBM) 250
Perpetual
Non-bituminous Base Course 150
Sub-base Course 200
Total 650

13 NHAI
Construction of four Lane Greenfiield Amritsar Connectivity for Connection of Amritsar with Delhi Pavement
–Amritsar-Katra Expressway from Isharwal village near 24+000 to Junction with NH354 Ajanala Design Report
road near Harsh China village Chainage 99+020(km 24.000 to Km 99.020) of Amritsa
Connctivity) on EPC mode Under Bharatmala Pariyojna in the state of Punjab

The summary of recommended flexible pavement crust composition for proposed

connecting/service/slip road section along the proposed expressway is given in table below.

Table 1-91: Recommended Pavement Design for Connecting/Service & Slip Road
Sections

Grade of
Pavement Crust Composition Recommended Thickness (mm)
Bitumen
Bituminous Concrete (BC) 40
Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) 50
Granular Base (WMM) 250 VG-30
Granular Sub-Base (GSB) 200
Total 540

Similary, Rigid Pavement is considered for the proposed toll plaza/booth locations of the
project road and the proposed crust composition is given in table below:

Table 1-12: Recommended Pavement Design for Toll Plaza/Booths

Pavement Crust Composition Thickness (mm)

PQC 300
DLC 150
GSB 150
Total 600

14 NHAI