Calibration of structural cracking models for asphalt pavement in HDM-4 to the chilean conditions

Abstract

The performance relationships developed by the World Bank, mainly those in the HDM-III and HDM-4 models, must be adapted by adjusting certain calibration factors in order to use them in the pavement management system of a country or region. This work presents the results obtained from calibrating the structural cracking models using HDM-4, as well as a comparison with the results obtained from equivalent HDM-III models. This work involved the use of the "windows" methodology, which consists of selecting roads that present similar characteristics (such as traffic, structural capacity and climate) but with different ages, in order to record the distress conditions of each one and in this way to reconstruct the curve of distress. Based on the results of this research, recommendations have been developed for calibrating the performance models, as well as establishing calibration factors for asphalt pavement structural cracking models which are more appropriate for Chilean roads. The results of the comparison of the HDM-III and HDM-4 calibrated models indicate that both yield similar values. Therefore, the HDM-4 cracking models are recommended, due to their operational advantages.