Pavement design challenges and solutions in the eagle ford shale

As the exploration in the Eagle Ford Shale continues in south Texas, pavement conditions in the area are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Small towns which once housed only low local traffic are now facing an increase in heavy vehicle traffic which transports equipment and materials to the numerous oil and natural gas rigs in the area. Unfortunately, local and state roads within the Eagle Ford Shale were not design to handle such traffic patterns. Local and state government agencies are now facing a major challenge as more frequent and expensive repairs have to be done to their roads. The purpose of this study is to review and examine the pavement design challenges and solutions that the Eagle Ford Shale boom has brought in particular to the Texas Department of Transportation. This study will primarily focus on collecting and reviewing traffic data in Karnes County through the review of weight tolerance and oversize/overweight vehicle permits. This approach will help generate more accurate heavy vehicle traffic data which in return will help make better decisions through the pavement design process.