Mechanistic-Empirical pavement design method and applicability in Laos

Understanding pavement performance under the impacts of traffic and environmental solicitations is the key factor for pavement design and management. The mechanistic-empirical pavement design method (MEPDG) is a state-of-the-art approach that can be used to predict pavement performance under a variety of conditions. It considers a wide range of factors, including truck traffic, climate zone, asphalt layer thickness and binder type. This paper presents an overview of the MEPDG, focusing on its design steps and application to flexible pavement structures with asphalt concrete wearing courses in Laos. It also analyzes the influence of input design parameters on asphalt pavement performance under different traffic and temperature conditions, as well as with different binder materials and pavement structure properties.