Network-Level Pavement Bearing Capacity Assessment Using the Curviameter Mechanical Index (CMI)

Csaba Tóth; Domonkos Koch; Péter Primusz

doi:10.14513/actatechjaur.00999

Authors

Csaba Tóth Department of Highway and Railway Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics Műegyetem rkp. 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary
Domonkos Koch Hungarian Concession Infrastructure Development Plc., Akron Street 2, H-2040 Budaörs, Hungary
Péter Primusz Institute of Geomatics and Civil Engineering, University of Sopron, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Street 4, H-9400 Sopron, Hungary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14513/actatechjaur.00999

Keywords:

Curviameter, deflection measurement, bearing capacity, pavement management, network-level assessment

Abstract

Bearing capacity assessment of asphalt pavement networks is a fundamental task in pavement asset management. This paper presents the Curviameter Mechanical Index (CMI), a composite indicator derived from continuous moving-load deflection measurements for network-level structural condition assesment. The CMI integrates three physically meaningful quantities: the global dynamic stiffness ratio, an energy ratio characterising viscoelastic asymmetry, and the logarithmically scaled effective range reflecting viscoelastic memory. The paper establishes the theoretical basis for the distinction between Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Curviameter measurements, demonstrating that direct numeric conversion between the two is theoretically unfounded. Instead, CMI is functionally aligned with deflection-based bearing capacity rating frameworks through empirical calibration, without claiming mechanistic equivalence. A proposed five-class structural condition scheme is presented, with threshold values determined by co-located FWD and Curviameter surveys. A pilot measurement campaign on three motorway sections confirms the physical validity and discriminatory power of the index. The role of CMI in pavement management systems is discussed, including the handling of temperature and moisture effects. The framework positions Curviameter and FWD as complementary tools: the former for network-level assesment, the latter for project-level mechanistic design.

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