3 credits
Fall 2026 Lecture Upper Division
Design of highway and airport pavement systems, subgrades, subbases and bases, soil stabilization, flexible and rigid pavements; cost analysis and pavement selection; quality control; drainage; earthwork; pavement evaluation and maintenance.
Learning Outcomes1Identify and distinguish the components of pavement structures.
2Explain the behavior of materials incorporated into pavement structures.
3Identify and distinguish distresses and their cause in flexible, rigid and composite pavements.
4Classify subgrade soil and base materials and explain their potential performance in a pavement structure with or without stabilization.
5Calculate stresses, strains, and deflections in flexible and rigid pavements.
6Describe failure mechanisms in flexible, rigid and composite pavements.
7Predict traffic estimates for use in pavement design.
8Design flexible pavements in accordance with AASHTO, Asphalt Institute, and ME- PDG design methods.
9Design rigid pavements in accordance with AASHTO, Portland Cement o Association, and ME-PDG design methods.
10Evaluate alternatives, using appropriate measures of merit.
11Explain the differences in empirical, mechanistic/empirical, and mechanistic pavement design procedures.
12Demonstrate the capacity for critical thought.
Prerequisites
made by Purdue students.