A Comparison of AASHTO and SHELL Methods in Flexible Pavement Design Using ABAQUS Software

In this study asphalt pavement design and modeling were investigated by AASHTO and SHELL methods which are under the circumstances of Iran (traffic, road condition and climate). The inputs of the modeling are mechanical properties (such as density, modulus of elasticity, effective resilient modulus, friction angle, etc.), specifications of axle loads (loads on pavements) and climate conditions. A finite element software ABAQUS 6-10 was used in this study. After comparing the results of the modeling and design methods, it was found that pavement layer thicknesses obtained by the AASHTO method which chooses thinner layer of asphalt are more economical and optimal than SHELL method.