{"id":25,"date":"2010-09-03T19:35:29","date_gmt":"2010-09-03T17:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peritmarkjohn.com\/blog\/?p=25"},"modified":"2010-11-13T00:37:57","modified_gmt":"2010-11-12T23:37:57","slug":"the-road-structure-catalog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/peritmarkjohn.com\/blog\/the-road-structure-catalog\/","title":{"rendered":"The Road Structure Catalog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\"Panic<\/a>

Panic - Which type of road structure shall I use?<\/p><\/div>\n

Post written by Perit Mark John Scicluna.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

No Need to Panic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Designing roads is similar to designing any other structural element. First, one must determine the loads which the building is being subjected to, and according to these loads and other safety factors beams, columns and slabs are sized accordingly.<\/p>\n

If the beam is subjected to loads which it has been designed to cater, it will perform satisfactorily. If the beam is subjected to loads considerably higher than the factored design loads, it wall inevitably fail.<\/p>\n

Similarly, just as beams and columns are designed according to the loads they are designed to take, roads too as structural elements have to be designed according to the loads they are subjected to. The loads on roads depend on the number of vehicles passing over them.<\/p>\n

Engineers usually use software or tables to size beams. Similarly road engineers have devised tables to assist them in the selection of the most appropriate road structure according to the number of equivalent 10t axles passes. This is known as the Road Structure Catalog<\/strong> and is shown in the chart below.<\/p>\n

\"Road<\/a>

The Road Structure Catalog. Courtesy of Profs K. Muller.<\/p><\/div>\n

Road Construction Classes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Road Structure Catalog consists of 7 columns denoting the road construction classes. The classes vary from HD to Class VI with HD being the top of the range road structure while Class VI being the typical road structure in villages and cities. These road classes are classified according to the number of the equivalent 10t axle passes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n