Pavement Design
We provide structural and materials designs for new pavement and repairs, using expert analysis and the best materials to design optimized pavements that meet your needs and your budgets.
The first step in enhanced road construction is pavement design. To construct long-lasting, high-quality pavement and potentially save millions of dollars on your project you will need to implement structural analysis, traffic forecasting, pavement selection, and optimized mix design. Our expert engineers understand the latest tools, technology, best practices, and materials to streamline your budget and optimize your finished project.
Services include:
- Design-Build
- Design evaluation
- Finite element analysis
- Pavement design
- Pavement design research
- Traffic count/monitoring
- Traffic control plan development

Elizabeth Rivers Tunnel, Virginia
QES was able to design pavements that unified the visions of several different agencies and the Virginia DOT during the construction of this major tunnel rehabilitation project.
Key Services:
- Pavement design
- Quality Control/Quality Assurance
QES served as the pavement designer on this project, led by Parsons Brinkerhoff. We provided pavement designs, including new pavement designs for the extension of MLK, the widening of I-264, and approximately 6 lane miles of ramps and frontage roads. In addition, we provided designs for pavement overlays on the existing I-264 mainlines and existing ramps and local roadways. A key challenge on this project was meeting specifications and standards that complied with requirements for VDOT, the contractors, and ERC at the same time. We were able to do so, and continued to be involved in clarifications and reviews for the contractor throughout construction. This project was identified as the No. 1 Road Project in the October 2014 issue of Roads & Bridges.
Legacy Parkway Design, Salt Lake City, UT
QES was able to design pavements that unified the visions of several different contractors and the Utah DOT when constructing this 14-mile highway in Salt Lake City.
Key Services:
- Pavement design
- Quality Control/Quality Assurance
Legacy Parkway is a 14-mile, four-lane divided highway in Salt Lake City, Utah. QES served as the pavement design firm on the Fleur-Aims-Krammar joint venture project team, coordinating with multiple design and construction firms as well as the Utah DOT. We provided pavement designs, including material selection criteria, and oversaw mixture designs for both asphalt and concrete pavements. In addition, we developed the quality control requirements for pavement construction. A challenge on this project was coordinating between a number of firms and providing designs that worked for all parties. Despite this, we successfully provided cost-effective and long-lasting structural pavement designs and were able to assure that compliance with the design-build-performance requirements were met.





Pavement Evaluation and Design Orange Bus Line, Los Angeles, CA
The Los Angeles County MTA was able to keep public transportation moving, thanks to QES’s testing, analysis, and design services.
Key Services:
- Forensic investigation
- Design analysis
- Pavement design
- Quality Control/Quality Assurance
When the pavement in a designated busway began to fail earlier than expected, the Los Angeles County MTA turned to QES. We performed an analysis of the existing pavement condition, determined the cause of early failures, and ultimately developed rehabilitation strategies. QES used the Asphalt Pavement Analyzer and repeated shear constant height testing to assist in our analysis, and designed rehabilitation pavements with Superpave. Using very tight production and construction controls, we oversaw the implementation of these pavement designs, performing field reviews, additional sampling and laboratory testing, and construction inspection and quality assurance. Ultimately, the pavement was able to be restored to a proper condition and lifespan.