A Regional Approach to Pavement Design for Low-Volume Roads

Low-volume roads represent a significant portion of the U.S. transportation network, yet their design methods are not adequately calibrated to reflect the environmental, material, and policy conditions of the regions they serve. This project aims to enhance durability and extend the life of low-volume transportation infrastructure by refining pavement design methodologies to better account for regional variations in climate, soil behavior, and construction practices. Building on the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), which is primarily calibrated for high-volume state routes, this research will address its limitations for rural applications where environmental stresses can dominate performance outcomes. The project will integrate insights from the NCHRP 01-59 mechanistic procedure to evaluate volume change effects and their impact on pavement roughness. By comparing existing local construction practices and material use in Arizona against MEPDG predictions, researchers will identify calibration needs and propose region-specific enhancements. These findings will directly support NCIT’s core focus of Improving Durability and Extending the Life of Transportation Infrastructure and align with the topical pillars of Infrastructure Durability & Resilience and Technology. The project will generate actionable, data-driven recommendations for improving pavement performance and optimizing maintenance strategies. Results will be disseminated through targeted outreach and education efforts for local governments, equipping them with tools to make informed, cost-effective infrastructure decisions. This work offers the potential to significantly reduce life cycle costs, minimize disruptions, and improve mobility across diverse environments and roadway systems.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $288,624.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344813

  699A3552348318

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Infrastructure Transformation

  Prairie View A&M University
  Prairie View, TX  United States  77446
• Performing Organizations:

  Arizona State University, Tempe

  Tempe, AZ  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Zapata, Claudia

  Vedula, Naaga

  Beheshti, Masih

• Start Date: 20260501
• Expected Completion Date: 20280430
• Actual Completion Date: 20280430
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 03-31-ASU

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Life cycle costing; Low volume roads; Mechanistic-empirical pavement design; Pavement performance; Volume changes
• Subject Areas: Economics; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Pavements; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02001918
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Infrastructure Transformation
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344813, 699A3552348318
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 10 2026 8:56AM