THIRUVANATHAPURAM: In a development that could pave the way for construction of longer-lasting roads in vulnerable stretches, researchers from the state have secured a patent for a 'layer pavement load testing system' that can accurately simulate actual loading conditions of road pavement in laboratory settings. Road pavement refers to the constructed surface of a roadway designed to support vehicle traffic while providing comfort and safety.
The invention, developed at the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET), enables precise analysis of complex load combinations that cause pavement damage, that could help engineers adopt appropriate strengthening measures before failures occur.
Road pavements are made up of multiple layers, including compacted subgrade, sub-base, base course and wearing surface. These layers are subjected to a combination of static and dynamic loads, leading over time to rutting, deformation, fatigue, cracking and other distresses such as potholes, often resulting in unsafe driving conditions.
According to project lead R. Padmakumar, Associate Professor in the Transportation Engineering Division of the Department of Civil Engineering at CET, conventional laboratory tests are largely restricted to material samples and simple specimens and fall short of capturing real-world pavement behaviour.
"The existing methods are inadequate for reproducing dynamic field conditions. Our load testing system fills this critical gap by precisely simulating actual pavement loading to quantify performance across all pavement layers under controlled static or dynamic loads, frequencies and magnitudes," Padmakumar said.
The system was co-developed with Vignesh Dhurai, a former doctoral scholar at CET. It is designed to test full-depth pavement variants, including modular bituminous block pavements, conventional flexible and rigid pavements, and interlocking concrete block systems. Notably, it allows accurate measurement of individual layer responses within a single setup.
Padmakumar said a key feature of the unit is its dynamic loading mechanism, which realistically simulates pneumatic wheel load impacts and can be customised for multi-environment conditioning. The innovation was developed under a research project funded through the RPS-NDF scheme of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a flagship initiative aimed at strengthening research infrastructure and capacity building in approved institutions. The funding enabled the creation of a multi-purpose, multi-layer pavement performance evaluation system.
The researchers describe the unit as the country's first compact yet realistic field simulator capable of testing all pavement layers within a single system.
They now plan to refine the technology further to expand its research applications. "The system has the potential to support comprehensive assessment of India's pavement infrastructure, contributing to safer, more sustainable and durable road construction nationwide," Padmakumar said.