Civil Engineering - Highway Engineering - Discussion

The major factors which governs the thickness of the pavement are 'Traffic' and 'subgrade soil strength' apart from climatic conditions ( frost action etc.), material characteristics etc.

However, there were no options related to the above discussed.

Option (A) affects the thickness because the subgrade soil strength (measured in CBR(%)) changes with the density of the soil.

Option (B) also affects the thickness because the stabilized soils do possess higher soil strength/desired properties than the unstabilized.

Option (C) deals with the drainage of the soils. Drainage affects the performance of the pavement. If the pavement results in a poor performance under drainage condition, an additional "drainage layer" should be provided (IRC 37:2012) and also while strengthening the roads, it is expected to get more characteristic deflection results in providing more thickness than the properly drained pavement.

THEREFORE, all the options ( compaction, stabilization, drainage ) do affects the pavement thickness. Hence, OPTION (D) is the ANSWER.

The pavement mainly depends upon the compaction, stabilization and drainage of soil for his reduction.

Thickness of pavement can be decrease by the soil compaction hence the voids are removed.

@Sreenivas.

Your explanation is adequate in content and reference. I think drainage is important because if the pavement is poorly drained, the particles in the layer tend to loose their compressive strength as a result of reduced inter-particle friction. This can cause the pavement layer to deform excessively and fail.

Thickness of pavement with compaction or without compaction.

Aggregate size for pavement, sub base, base course.

The amount of compaction is done by considering the loads applied on the pavement so the pavement thickness depends on the amount of loads applied on the pavement surface but not by the compaction.