Utvärdering av Trafikverkets nya dimensioneringsmetod för vägöverbyggnader

Sammanfattning

The Swedish Transport Administration is evaluating ERAPave performance prediction (PP) as a possible future tool for pavement design and performance analysis. PMS Objekt has long been used in Sweden for verification of flexible road pavements. This study compares the two programs through 27 reference cases based on three traffic levels, three climate zones and three subgrade types: solid rock, mixed-grain soil and clay. All cases were analysed using traffic, material and structural input data that were kept as comparable as the two programs allowed. The design period and reference speed were kept constant, while the pavement structure was kept constant within each subgrade type. PMS Objekt was run in its standard mode against TRVK Väg, while ERAPave PP was evaluated against its own calibrated limits for rutting, fatigue damage and frost heave. The programs gave the same outcome in nine cases and different outcomes in 18 cases. PMS Objekt was more critical at high traffic levels, especially on solid rock, while ERAPave PP rejected more cases with frost-susceptible subgrades due to frost heave. The results show that the programs are not directly interchangeable. A reliable transition to ERAPave PP requires continued calibration against Swedish field conditions, clearer user guidance and better harmonisation of frost criteria and subgrade strain limits between TRVK Väg and TRVINFRA-00224.