Pavement is a hard, high strength top finished road surface that separates the underlying well-compacted foundation from the weight of vehicles. Pavement is in between the wheels of vehicles and the foundation of a road. Underlying foundation is mostly a soil, but in case of bridge it will be a bridge deck.
Finishing of pavements depends on the environmental conditions in that area and strength of pavement depends on the type of vehicles for which it will be utilize in future and amount daily traffic on that highway.
For minor roads, you will go for a normal strength pavement, because on minor roads traffic is not too much and high strength pavement will not be economical anymore. In case of major roads/highways go for a high strength pavements; because average daily traffic is in thousands on these highways and on highways, every category of vehicles can utilize these roads.
If there will be a restriction for heavy weight vehicles then some changes are possible. Restrictions for heavy weight vehicles will be only on a highway, which is only for fast moving vehicles. Heavy weight vehicles generates shockwave (slowing down of vehicles behind the slow moving vehicle) on fast moving roads that’s why a separate lane is mostly provided for that kind of vehicles.
If separate lanes for lightweight and heavy weight vehicles, then pavement for heavy weight vehicles lane will be different and it will be of high strength pavement than all other lanes.
Types Of Pavement
there are mainly there are two types of pavement, depending upon the strength and type of underlying foundation. These are;
- Rigid Pavement
- Flexible Pavement