Mechanistic–Empirical Evaluation and Design of Concrete Overlays for Pavement Rehabilitation

Heredia Ordóñez J.A.; Ramirez Montenegro M.A.; Sevillano Cerveto M.A. · International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s42947-026-00887-3

Resumen

Concrete overlays are increasingly used to restore the structural and functional capacity of deteriorated pavements subjected to growing traffic demand. This study evaluates a 4.0 km urban corridor in Trujillo, Peru, through an integrated rehabilitation assessment framework combining traffic characterisation, Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing, Pavement Condition Index (PCI) surveys, geotechnical assessment and comparative concrete overlay design. FWD deflection basins were used to assess structural variability and estimate representative support parameters, while PCI surveys quantified surface deterioration. Traffic analysis defined a critical 20-year design demand of 42.821 million equivalent axle repetitions. These inputs supported overlay design using AASHTO 93 and the Thin Concrete Pavement (TCP) methodology, allowing comparison between an empirical serviceability-based approach and a mechanistic-oriented short-slab approach using a common cumulative EE/ESAL traffic basis. Results showed severe functional deterioration, with PCI values ranging from 2 to 6, and marked structural variability, with maximum deflections ranging from 126 to 381 μm. AASHTO 93 produced a required overlay thickness of 327 mm, rounded to 33 cm, whereas TCP implemented in OptiPave 2.0 yielded 166.9 mm, rounded to 17 cm, under the assumed support and slab-geometry conditions. The findings indicate that concrete overlay rehabilitation is feasible for the studied corridor. AASHTO 93 provides an empirical serviceability-based reference thickness, while TCP offers a project-specific lower-thickness alternative, provided that support uniformity, base stabilisation, separation-layer placement, joint layout and concrete quality are adequately controlled during construction. © Chinese Society of Pavement Engineering 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola; Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal; Universidad Privada del Norte