Explore the considerations when designing a pavement for heavy truck traffic and/or industrial use.
Most pavement is designed for light traffic comprised of average vehicles. However, some pavements must be able to withstand heavier traffic, such as freight terminals, ports, warehouses, manufacturing plants, loading docks, and other industrial settings. Heavy traffic comes from 18-wheelers, dump trucks, other heavy machinery, forklifts, and more. In such cases, there are many different considerations for designing a pavement that will hold up to heavier traffic. Tucker Paving has over 30 years in the pavement industry, and we have completed projects big and small, like amusement parks, schools, luxury apartments, and more, so we are well-versed in designing pavement to withstand heavy traffic.
Considerations for Designing Heavy Traffic Pavement
These are the factors that must be considered when designing pavement for heavy traffic:
- Evaluating the Subgrade. The subgrade—the materials that will be under the pavement—must be evaluated as to the soil type, compaction, moisture level, and strength. Earthworks can be utilized to amend any areas where the original subgrade is lacking.
- Drainage. Water is one of the leading causes of failing pavement, so the site for the pavement must be evaluated for water runoff and graded to ensure that water is removed as quickly as possible from around any pavement.
- Material Choice. Materials must be chosen to meet the demands of the projected traffic. Concrete is generally chosen for pavements that are projected to see constant loads, like storage yards; asphalt, on the other hand, is generally chosen for sites that will see a lot of movement and different uses.
- Thickness. Pavements must be designed thick enough to handle the traffic volume, load, and more, but stay within the project’s budget.
- Distribution and Reinforcement of Loads. Steel mesh, geogrids, or other reinforcements must be chosen to help the pavement in supporting vehicle or material loads without cracking of becoming deformed.
- Friction and Surface Texture. Pavement that experiences heavy traffic needs to provide adequate friction to keep vehicles from slipping and sliding.
- Joints. Concrete pavement facing heavy traffic must have joint spacings and layouts planned to keep the pavement stable.
- Environmental Factors, Like Temperature. Areas with temperature extremes—both cold and hot—require the planning of special mixes that will be able to withstand temperature extremes.
- Planning Maintenance. All pavements require maintenance; the pavement that is planned must be able to be adequately maintained.
- Sustainability. The last factor that goes into designing pavement for heavy traffic is the environmental impact; using reclaimed materials reduces costs and waste.
Tucker Paving has over three decades of serving Central Florida, offering underground utilities installation and maintenance, construction layout and as-builts, site clearing and demolition, asphalt and concrete installation and maintenance, hauling aggregate, and more! Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online.