Minimum Pavement Thickness and Width Standards

The Order establishes design thrust to upgrade the design standards of national roads.
The Order aims to avoid the early deterioration of pavement caused by uncontrolled overloading.

The standards apply to new road construction of national roads.
The standards apply to rehabilitation and upgrading of national roads.
The standards apply to overlaying works for asphalt pavement.
The standards apply to pavement rehabilitation using the crack and seat method.
The standards apply to pavement reblocking.

For new road construction, rehabilitation, or upgrading using Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP), the minimum thickness is 280 mm.
For PCCP, a thickness less than 280 mm may be adopted if it is in no case less than 230 mm and if the Cumulative Equivalent Single Axle Load (CESAL) is not more than 7.0 x 10^6.
The Order provides that the procedure for calculating CESAL is in Annex A.
For pavement rehabilitation using the crack and seat method, the minimum thickness is 260 mm for the new pavement constructed on top of the deteriorated concrete pavement.
For pavement reblocking, the thickness of the new pavement equals the thickness of the replaced blocks.

For overlaying works, the minimum asphalt overlay thickness is 50 mm.
For economy, pavement thickness more than 50 mm is considered only if the cost of the asphalt pavement of such thickness is less than the cost of a 230 mm thick PCCP.

The Order requires that pavement thickness be verified from pavement design analysis using the AASHTO method as contained in the DPWH Design Guidelines, Criteria and Standards.
The design verification must consider the latest Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT).
The design verification must consider axle loading.

For new construction, the minimum width of the carriageway is 6.70 meters.
For rehabilitation or upgrading works involving a length of at least 500 meters, the minimum carriageway width is 6.70 meters.
The 6.70 meters width requirement for those works applies provided that such works will not require right-of-way acquisition.

The Order prescribes design guidelines for minimum pavement thickness and width of national roads.
The Order requires compliance starting immediately because it takes effect immediately.