RPD “Road Pavement Design” Software for the calculation of flexible and semi-rigid road pavements through automated procedures. With RPD, it is possible to perform verification procedures according to empirical methods (such as the one proposed by AASHTO in the GUIDE FOR DESIGN OF PAVEMENT STRUCTURES) and rational methods.
Among the rational methods, the maximum deflection method (or Ivanov's method) and Westergaard's method, aimed at calculating deflections in multilayer pavements, are implemented.
AASHTO GUIDE FOR DESIGN OF PAVEMENT STRUCTURES
The method is based on considerations derived from experimental tests. The general principle of the method is to measure the adequacy of the road pavement in terms of the number of vehicles (standard axles of 82 kN) that a road pavement can withstand while maintaining the desired functionality for a certain number of years (set as a design parameter and, in most cases, equivalent to the road's service life).
Westergaard's method
It is based on the solution of the Lagrange equation for thin plates. From a general perspective, the method is thus a tool for calculating the maximum deflection to which a layered thin plate (approximated as the road pavement) is subjected. The verification (or design) criterion is analogous to that on which the maximum deflection method is based.
Ivanov's method
The maximum deflection method (or Ivanov's method) is based on Boussinesq's formulation of the elastic problem in soils. The criterion is based on limiting the maximum deflection that occurs at the end of a road pavement's service life.
RPD Features: parametric calculation – immediate visualization of results – automatic calculation of design traffic, maximum bearable traffic, pavement Structural Number, layer structure coefficients, and layer drainage coefficients.
RPD features an intuitive interface that simplifies its use, with each parameter meticulously described and verified. RPD provides a detailed and comprehensive calculation report, complete with theoretical references.
RPD is useful for calculating, verifying, and optimizing road pavements.
