2013 - South Africa - Pavement Engineering Manual

Running over 1,100 pages, the manual comprises fourteen chapters covering a range of elements of pavement engineering. The chapters, inter alia, include the history of roads, the development of pavement engineering with time through the understanding of the behaviour of materials and their utilization, the influence of the environment and traffic, the interface between tyre and pavement, references to testing methods guiding the reader through the numerous tests to be conducted, and laboratory management. It explains relevant concepts, tells the reader of the do’s and don’ts, and also contains guidelines on the investigation of the road prism, the pavement and geology, and suggests the expertise required for carrying out geotechnical investigations.

This is a comprehensive guideline manual, not a policy manual. It is to be regarded as a best practice guideline, providing the sequence of steps for practitioners. Its benefits will manifest over time with its use, with the harmonization of designs and standards. It predominantly provides advice and guidance for the design of safe, state of the art, cost effective – taking into account the carbon footprint – pavements for motorists, thus reducing the cost of transport.