Development of a Pavement Design Catalog Through CalME and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Pavement design has advanced from traditional empirical methods to mechanistic-empirical (ME) approaches. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC) have developed the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) ME Structural Analysis Program for Flexible Pavements (CalME) ME design method. A comprehensive pavement design catalog is essential to facilitate broader implementation, especially by local governments. This study aims to create a detailed pavement design catalog using the CalME program, assisting local officials in their pavement design processes. The catalog considers variations in climate, traffic, and structural pavement types across different regions in California, providing a ready-to-use resource for local government officials. Moreover, a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) was conducted to optimize the pavement designs included in the catalog. The LCCA ensures economic efficiency throughout the pavement’s design life by accounting for construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation costs. Three pavement treatment strategies were evaluated: preservation, rehabilitation, and a combination of preservation and rehabilitation treatments. The findings of this study indicate that governmental agencies can make informed, climate region and subgrade-specific pavement design decisions and develop cost-effective maintenance plans for the entire pavement service life. The LCCA results show that preservation treatments are the most cost-effective in high-traffic areas, whereas rehabilitation treatments offer the most significant economic benefits in low-traffic areas.