Advancement of Pavement Design for Practical Use Incorporating Climatic Effects for Unbound Pavements with Thin Seals

Road pavement construction and maintenance cost governments billions of dollars due to environmental factors, such as moisture, causing road failures. Unbound pavements with thin seals, like sprayed seals, are more prone to deterioration due to moisture from climate conditions. However, the current Australian design does not consider the impact of climate on pavement performance. This thesis developed a practical model to predict moisture variations in unbound pavements with thin seals under Australian conditions. The model was validated for field and laboratory data and used to evaluate pavement performance related to moisture variations in practical scenarios, advancing current Australian pavement design for better performance.