Difference Between Flexible Pavement and Rigid Pavement

 Difference Between Flexible Pavement and Rigid Pavement

The term pavement means the surfacing layer only. It is defined as a structure having several layers bound together and placed at the top of the soil subgrade so that it provides a smooth surface for the vehicles.

So the main objective behind construction of pavement is to provide a smooth surface for the vehicles. Pavements are divided into two types with respect to their structural behavior:

1. Flexible Pavements

2. Rigid Pavements

Sr. No.	Particular	Flexible Pavement	Rigid Pavement
01	Flexural strength	Flexible pavements are those which on the whole have low or negligible flexural strength and are rather flexible in their structural action under the loads	Rigid pavements are those which posses flexural strength or flexural rigidity.
02	Damage	It has self healing properties as it deforms elastically	The damage caused to the surface under heavy loading is of permanent nature.
03	Design	The strength of subgrade is most important	The flexural strength of concrete slab is the major factor
04	Excessive loading	It yields to excessive stresses resulting in local depression of the surface.	It ruptures by producing a crack on the surface
05	Failure	Its failure usually follows due to the movement of the subgrade	The initial crack of the concrete slab on the surface is more likely to be the main cause of failure.
06	Normal loading	It adjusts itself to loading by undergoing elastic deformation	It tends to acts as a beam or cantilever and resists deformation
07	Temperature effect	Stresses are not induced in these pavements due to temperature variations	Heavy stresses are induced in these pavements due to temperature variations
08	Tensile stresses	It cannot resist tensile stresses	It can resist tensile stresses.
09	Initial cost	Its initial cost is low	Its initial cost is high
10	Life span	Its life span is short	Its life span is long
11	Thickness	Its thickness is more	Its thickness is less.
12	Joints requirement	Joints are not required	Joints are essentially required
13	Skill and supervision	Moderate skill and less supervision is required	High degree of skill and more supervision is required
14	Repair work	Its repair work is easy	Its repair work is difficult
15	Subgrade requirement	A reasonably good subgrade is required	A good subgrade is not necessary
16	In operation time	It can be opened to traffic shortly after construction	It requires curing after construction and thus cause delay in opening to traffic
17	Traffic load	It is resilient to traffic load	It is less resilient to traffic load
18	Suitability for traffic	It is suitable for all types of traffic	It become noisy under iron wheeled traffic
19	Corrugation development	It develops corrugations	It does not develop corrugations
20	Tractive resistance	It offers more tractive resistance	It offers less tractive resistance
21	Visibility at night	It provide poor visibility at night	It provides good visibility at night
22	Maintenance cost	Its maintenance cost is high	Its maintenance cost is low
23	Behavior during failure	It does not undergo any change, but fails due to rupture under load	It undergoes the change in shape before failure
24	Examples	The stabilized soil roads, W.B.M. roads and other low cost roads and bituminous roads which form a void free compact and elastic bed come under the category of flexible pavements.	Cement concrete roads which may either be plain, reinforced or prestressed comes under the category of rigid pavements
25	Diagram