This paper attempts to derive a general model for fatigue failure. Initially, the problem studied is the relation between the displacement response of a pavement system and the stresses generated by the dynamic application of a load. This is carried out through an analytical model using the theory of wave propagation in an elastic medium. The ultimate objective is forecasting fatigue damage to pavement systems caused by the passage of large trucks. In this regard, a theory is developed to relate fatigue damage to applied stresses. Thefatigue model is calibrated by pavement performance data obtained from the aasho road test. Equivalent fatigue damage is computed on a linear damage scale for different axle weights. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1227, Rigid and flexible pavement design and analysis: unbound granular materials, tire pressures, backcalculation, and design methods.
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