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The pavements can be classified based on the structural performance into two,
flexible pavements and rigid pavements. In flexible pavements, wheel loads are
transferred by grain-to-grain contact of the aggregate through the granular
structure.
The flexible pavement, having less flexural strength, acts like a flexible
sheet (e.g. bituminous road).
On the contrary, in rigid pavements, wheel loads are transferred to sub-grade
soil by flexural strength of the pavement and the pavement acts like a rigid
plate (e.g. cement concrete roads).
In addition to these, composite pavements are also available.
A thin layer of flexible pavement over rigid pavement is an ideal pavement with
most desirable characteristics.
However, such pavements are rarely used in new construction because of high
cost and complex analysis required.
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