Documents

Software Usage Guidance

• Migrating XML Library Data Files from v2 (Desktop) to v3 (Web) (PDF) [12/12/2025]
  
  

Historical Changes to the Software

• PMED Version History of Updates (PDF) [2/26/2024]
  
  

Release Notes

• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.6.1 Release Notes (PDF) [3/9/2021]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.6 Release Notes (PDF) [6/26/2020]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.5.5 Release Notes (PDF) [6/27/2019]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.5.4 Release Notes (PDF) [4/8/2019]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.5.3 Release Notes (PDF) [10/16/2018]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.5.2 Release Notes (PDF) [8/30/2018]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.5 Release Notes (PDF) [7/1/2018]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Build 2.3 Release Notes (PDF) [7/1/2016]
  
  

Database Resource Documents

Pavement ME Design provides the user features to save/search/load data from a database. To get started, users must install a database first. Two empty database files are available for the user to download and install, one is for SQL and another is for Oracle.

• MSSQL database
  
  
• Oracle Database
  
  

More information is available through the following links:

• ME Design Database Setup and Access Instructions (PDF)
  
  

Other Documents

• Suggested Architectural Guidelines for Project Software Deliverables (DOCX)
  
  
• EUD Responsibilities (PDF) [12/13/2024]
  
  

A Note on the Ongoing Analysis Module Refactoring Process

AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design has been undergoing an analysis module refactoring effort since FY23. Previous even to this current effort, the development team had consolidated all analysis module source code to C# via a transliteration process. This process migrated the non-C# analysis module code bases (previously in FORTRAN and C++) to C# while ensuring the analysis produced exactly the same outputs. The completion of this activity allowed the development team to take the next step in the maintenance process for the analysis modules - translation refactoring.

Software industry standard idioms and practices were missing in the original code base for the analysis modules. The refactoring effort was initiated to address these issues and to improve the maintainability, scalability, interchangeability, and performance of the analysis modules. The goal of the refactoring process is ultimately to make it possible for subject matter experts to easily read, understand, and enhance the models-in-code. The refactoring process will conclude with a complete refactoring of the underlying domain within PMED. The refactored set of domains will provide a coherent description of the data and behavior of the underlying analysis models without ambiguity.

As part of the refactoring process for each module, documentation is generated by the development team describing the work performed summarizing the major aspects of and issues in each module. This documentation is intended to provide a clear understanding of the refactoring effort for subject matter experts and to facilitate the review process and can be made available to users upon request to AASHTO personnel (Ben Sade; bsade at aashto.org).

Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, Interim Edition: A Manual of Practice

The AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, Interim Edition: A Manual of Practice provides the highway community with a state-of-the-practice analysis tool for evaluating pavement structures using mechanistic-empirical principles, using project specific traffic, climate, and materials data for estimating damage accumulation over a specified pavement service life. This manual is applicable to designs for new, reconstructed, and rehabilitated flexible, rigid, and semi-rigid pavements. Performance and distress predictions models are used to aid the pavement designer in determining the desired pavement section.

NCHRP 1-37

Introduction

• Cover, Acknowledgements & Table of Contents for Introduction & Design Inputs (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Background, Scope & Overview (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     

Design Inputs

1. Subgrade/Foundation Design Inputs (PDF) [11/4/2024]
   
   
2. Material Characterization (PDF) [11/4/2024]
   
   
3. Environmental Effects (PDF) [11/4/2024]
   
   
4. Traffic (PDF) [11/4/2024]
   
   
5. Evaluation of Existing Pavements for Rehabilitation (PDF) [11/4/2024]
   
   

Design Analysis

• Cover, Acknowledgements & Table of Contents for Design Analysis & Low Volume Roads (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Drainage (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     
  2. Shoulders (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     
  3. Design of New & Reconstructed Flexible Pavements (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     
  4. Design of New & Reconstructed Rigid Pavements (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     
  5. Rehabilitation Strategies (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     
  6. AC Rehabilitation (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     
  7. PCC Rehabilitation Design (PDF) [11/4/2024]
     
     

Low Volume Roads

• Low Volume Road Design (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  

Appendices

• A Glossary of Terms (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• B Pavement Strategy Selection (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• C Life Cycle Cost Analysis Guidelines (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• D User's Guide Design Guide Software & Design Examples (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• AA (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Traffic Analysis Flowchart
  2. Normalized Truck Class Distribution
  3. Default Values for Truck Traffic Classification
  4. Normalized Annual Axle Weight Distribution/Spectra
  5. Normalized Axle Weight Statistics for Vehicle (5 & 9)
  6. Normalized Monthly Axle Load Spectra (5 Sites)
  7. Default Normalized Axle Load Spectra
  8. Normalized Axle Load Spectra (Level 1 Inputs)
  9. Axle Load Spectra from other Roadways Used to Determine the Regional Values ( Level 2 & 3 Inputs to the Example Problem)
  10. Regional Axle Load Spectra ( Level 2 & 3 Inputs to the Example Problem)
  11. Tabulation Summary of the Output From the Traffic Module for the Example Problems
• 
  BB Design Reliability (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• CC (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Correlation of CBR Values with Soil Index Properties
  2. Estimating Original Air Voids in GPS-LTPP Sections
  3. Updated Traffic Frequency Calculation for Asphalt Layers
  4. Development of a Revised Predictive Model for the Dynamic (Complex) Modulus of Asphalt Mixtures
• 
  DD (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Resilient Modulus as Function of Soil Moisture – Summary of Predictive Models
  2. Resilient Modulus as Function of Soil Moisture
  3. Selection of Resilient Moduli for Frozen/Thawed Unbound Materials
  4. Improvement of the Integrated Climatic Model for Moisture Content Predictions
• 
  EE (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Input Data for the Calibration & Validation for New Constructed Flexible Sections
  2. Input Data for the Calibration and Validation for Rehabilitated Pavement Sections with HMA Overlays
• 
  FF Calibration Sections for Rigid Pavements (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Introduction
  2. Data Requirements for Model Development & Calibration (New PCC and Rehabilitation with PCC)
  3. General Information and Site/Project Identification
  4. Distress
  5. Traffic
  6. Pavement Structure
• 
  GG (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Calibration of Permanent Deformation Models for Flexible Pavements
  2. Sensitivity Analysis for Permanent Deformation for Flexible Pavements
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  HH Field Calibration of the Thermal Cracking Model (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• II (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Calibration of Fatigue Cracking Models for Flexible Pavements
  2. Sensitivity Analysis for Asphalt Concrete Fatigue Alligator Cracking
  3. Sensitivity Analysis for Asphalt Concrete Fatigue Longitudinal Surface Cracking
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  JJ Tranverse Joint Faulting Model (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• KK Transverse Cracking of JPCP (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• LL Punchouts in CRCP (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• MN Calibration of Rehabilitation of Existing Pavements PCC (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• OO (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
  1. Background and Preliminary Smoothness Prediction Models for AC
  2. Revised Smoothness Prediction Models for AC
  3. Addendum — Estimation of Distress Quantities for Smoothness Models for HMA-Surface Pavements
• 
  PP Smoothness Prediction for Rigid Pavements (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• QQ Structural Response Models for AC (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• RR Finite Element Procedures for Flexible Analysis (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• SS Hydraulic Design, Maintenance & Construction Details of Subsurface Drainage Systems (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  
• TT Drainage Requirement in Pavements (DRIP) User's Guide (PDF) [11/4/2024]
  
  

Release Notes

• AASHTOWare Backcalculation Tools Build v1.1.5 Release Notes (PDF) [9/30/2021]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Backcalculation Tools Build v1.1.0 Release Notes (PDF) [3/19/2021]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Backcalculation Tools Build v1.0.6 Release Notes (PDF) [12/4/2020]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Backcalculation Tools Build v1.0.4 Release Notes (PDF) [6/16/2020]
  
  
• AASHTOWare Backcalculation Tools Build v1.0 Release Notes (PDF) [7/10/2017]
  
  

Import File Sample Format

• Backcalculation Tool Thickness File Import Sample Format (Build v1.1.0) [2/23/2021]
  
  

User Manual

To use the most updated user manual along with the software, please download the user manual and place it in the Document directory under ME Design installation directory, for example: C:\Program Files (x86)\AASHTOWare\BcT\Document.

• Backcalculation Tool User Manual (PDF) [9/30/2021]
  
  

Supplemental Information

• Everseries User Guide_Specific Chapters (PDF) [8/3/2017]
  
  

• Top Down Cracking Addendum to MOP (PDF) [6/30/2020]
  
  
• MERRA Climate Updates Addendum 1 MOP Redline (DOCX) [8/24/2018]
  
  
• MERRA Climate Instructions Addendum 2 (DOCX) [8/24/2018]
  
  
• IDT Addendum 3 MOP (DOCX) [6/10/2018]
  
  
• Recalibration Addendum 4 MOP (DOCX) [7/10/2018]
  
  
• Recalibration Addendum 5 MOP (DOCX) [7/10/2018]
  
  
• Reset Performance Parameters Addendum 6 MOP (DOCX) [7/10/2018]
  
  
• Final Report SJPCP BCOA (PDF) [7/31/2017]
  
  
• SJPCP Short Jtd Bonded PCC Overlay Asphalt Procedure Addendum (PDF) [Revised - 3/23/2018]
  
  
• Climate Addendum (PDF) [7/13/2016]
  
  
• Reflection Cracking Addendum to MOP (PDF) [12/25/2015]
  
  
• Layer Dependent RLPD Coefficients (PDF) [7/25/2015]
  
  
• PCC Calibration Coefficients (PDF) [7/22/2015]
  
  
• NALS (PDF) [7/12/2015]
  
  
• Structural Response for HMA and JPCP (PDF)
  
  

• New Local Calibration Guide 2026 (DOCX) [2/23/2026]