A COMPREHENSIVE SYNOPSIS OF THE CURRENT PRACTICE PAVEMENT STRUCTURE DESIGN METHOD OF LIBERIA AND THE NEED FOR AN IMPROVEMENT.

Pavement design is an important fragment in the design and construction of roads. The pavement provides a smooth riding surface for vehicular traffic. The current pavement structure design method used in Liberia is the 1993 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide for Pavement Structure Design which is based on an empirical interpretation of results from the 1960 AASHTO Road Test. This paper aims to summarize the limitation of the 1993 AASHTO Guide for Pavement Structure Design and discuss why the method does not suit Liberia and point out the defects roads in Liberia are experiencing due to the limitation of the current pavement design method used. Finally, recommend that Liberia develop its Guidelines for Geometric and Pavement Design and effectively and efficiently transition to the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design method; and introduce an infrastructure management system