Beyond the Basics: Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design
Thursday, October 07, 2021
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
iCalendar
Eastern Standard Time
Beyond the Basics: Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design
Since the dawn of pavements more than 2,000 years ago, roadway owners have been constructing pavements based on experience. It was not until the 1960’s that most owners got more sophisticated and started using purely empirical design methods (built it, test it, observe it and then develop an approach to design it) instead of building what has always worked. In the 1980s and 1990s some states began experimenting with a new process called Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) pavement design. This new design methodology allowed pavement designers to correlate the mechanistic properties of pavement under loaded conditions and predict pavement performance. While there are numerous tools available for ME design, most states still have not adopted it as the preferred design methodology.
Takeaways:
- Learn how empirical and ME design differ
- Understand the benefits and challenges with using a ME design methodology
- Evaluate the different tools which are available to complete ME design
Professional engineers (PEs) who register and attend the entire webinar as an individual will be awarded 1.5 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). APA/NAPA’s webinar program awards PDH credits only to the registered individual, and not to other members of a group that view the webinar together. To be eligible for the credits, individuals must remain signed in for the entire webinar, including for any question and answer session following the presentations.
APA/NAPA will report credits earned to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Complaints about registered providers may be sent to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20005.