Pavement Structural and Functional Performance after the 2010 Chilean Earthquake

Abstract

Significant work has been published on the structural and functional assessment of roadways due vehicular and environmental loading. However, there is limited data and guidelines for the evaluation of earthquake-damaged pavements. After the 2010 Maule Region earthquake in Chile, the condition of two road networks, Itata highway and La Madera road, were evaluated. These two roads were selected because structural and functional data prior to the earthquake was available. The distress types observed after the earthquake and possible mechanisms of failure have been summarized. Firstly, pavements built on embankments experienced more damage than other pavement sections. In general, the main distresses encountered were lateral displacement of embankment, pavement cracking due to embankment or subgrade displacement, under-drain fill settlement, and shoulder-curb separation. Embankment-related distresses appeared to be more pronounced in sag vertical curves and bridge approaches. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) data was analyzed before and after the earthquake on one of the roads. It was concluded that no internal damage had occurred to the pavement structure that was not otherwise observed during the visual survey. The International Roughness Index (IRI) data showed an increase in pavement surface roughness following the earthquake especially in the driving lane. The study concluded the need for developing a standardized condition assessment tool and guidelines that can be used to evaluate pavements after an earthquake.