Applied Research Associates. Release Notes. Build 2.2

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Applied Research Associates

August 11

th

2015

Release Notes

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1 Introduction

This document describes the resolved issues and features present in the new build (2.2) for the ME Design system released on August 12th_2015.

2 Enhancements

ME Design 2.2 implemented the enhancements described in the following subsections.

2.1 Inclusion of NCHRP 1-41 Reflection Cracking Model

The software has successfully integrated with the NCHRP 1-41 reflection cracking model. These alterations bring big changes to existing designs and are heavily detailed and described in the help document.

The following additional design types are included in this release:

 New Semi-Rigid Pavement: A semi-rigid pavement is composed of a flexible layer (e.g., HMA) and a rigid layer (e.g., cement-treated base [CTB], cement stabilized base [CSB], rolled-compacted concrete [RCC], or lean mix concrete).

 AC Overlay of Existing Semi-Rigid Pavement: This is the placement of an AC overlay over an existing semi-rigid pavement.

Figure showing typical structures for new semi-rigid pavements This release also includes enhanced capabilities for the following design types:

 AC Overlay of Existing AC Pavements.

 AC Overlay of Existing Intact JPCP.

 AC Overlay of Existing Intact CRCP.

 AC Overlay of Fractured JPCP.

 AC Overlay of Fractured CRCP.

 JPCP Overlay of Existing AC Pavements.

 CRCP Overlay of Existing AC Pavements.

Detailed information on the additional design types and enhanced design capabilities (new inputs, performance criteria, new prediction models and algorithms, model calibration coefficients, and reliability) are presented in the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Software Help System.

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2.2 DRIP Software Posting

The DRIP software has been added to the Pavement ME Design website as a part of the Pavement ME Design suite of tools.

2.3 LTPP Traffic Level 1 WIM Sites Data

New LTPP traffic data is now available in Pavement ME Design via the Traffic node in the user interface. Right clicking on the traffic node will now allow users to import the new traffic data and allows users to update their axle load configuration nodes.

2.4 Level 1 and Level 2 Inputs for PCC Overlays of Existing AC Pavements

The software now allows users to include Level 1 and 2 inputs for this design type and perform preliminary evaluation of the designs performed using these inputs. See the Help manual for further information.

2.5 Inclusion of New PCC Pavement Model Calibration Coefficients

The software is now fully integrated with the results from NCHRP 20-07, (Task 327).

2.6 Map-ME

Starting on September 1st_{, Users can visit}_{www.me-design.com/MapME}_{to get “Level 4” data associated}

with their projects. MapME pulls data from several government data sets to provide inputs for design projects. Users can then use this data to generate a fully functional ME Design project file for use in the software.

2.7 APIs for JULEA and the ICM

API integration work has been completed and the software now comes with complete API integration for the ICM and JULEA analyses. Documentation regarding the file formats is now available on the ME Design website and a separate set of dynamic link libraries (dll’s) specific to the API integration work are available for download and use in custom development projects.

3 Issues Resolved

This section will detail the issues resolved in build 2.2 since the previous (2.1.x) build was released.

Mantis ID Issue Correction to Software

3378 Level 3 Rehab - LTE not considering SI units fixed

3377 SI IRF fixed

3376 Update interface range file fixed

3375

Default crack spacing for fractured layer

should be 3 ft fixed

3373

Incorrect amount of existing transverse

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3372

Incorrect amount of existing transverse

cracking for level 3 AC rehab (SI version) fixed

3371 Crack spacing in CRCP properties (SI) fixed

3370

Need to change the recommended ranges for total transverse cracking performance

criteria fixed

3369

Remove total transverse cracking

performance criteria from AC over Fractured

CRCP fixed

3368

Change the label for Semi_Rigid transverse

cracking M value fixed

3367

CSM calibration coefficients should only display for Rigid and AC over

Semi-Rigid fixed

3366

Chemically stabilized fatigue fracture performance criteria should not display for

AC over PCC fixed

3365

Change recommend limit transverse

reflective cracking for AC over JPCP or CRCP fixed

3364

AC over Fractured are recording wrong material type for layers below Fractured

Layer fixed

3363 Add headers to rut.tmp intermediate file fixed

3362

Incorrect input of existing transverse

cracking for SI version fixed

3361

AC total transverse cracking and AC total fatigue cracking columns @ specified

reliability need to be added to Excel report fixed

3360

AC-Frac-JPCP and AC-Frac-CRCP does not

have Total AC Rutting in summary and chart no change required

3358

AC_AC interlayer/seal coat needs to have

reflection cracking coefficients fixed

3357 Revision number for Calibration file updates fixed

3356

PCC over AC shouldn't have

TransverseCracking in level 1/2 and

Environmental rating in level 3 fixed

3355

AC rutting output chart for AC over all PCC

type fixed

3354

Error in reliability for some total transverse

and fatigue (reflection) cracking fixed

3353 Cap reflective cracking fixed

3351

JPCP overlay designs are thicker than the

new construction designs no change required

3349

Unit missing for fatigue cracking from

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3348

CTB crack spacing, fatigue LTE, transverse cracking LTE inputs missing from

Semi-Rigid/AC_Semi-Rigid fixed

3347

Fractured crack spacing and LTE inputs

missing from AC_Frac_JPCP fixed

3346 Joint LTE input missing from AC_JPCP report fixed

3345

Amount and severity level inputs missing from AC_AC/seal

coat/interlayer/AC_semi-rigid fixed

3344

Environmental rating input for AC-AC/seal coat/interlayer/AC_semi-rigi is missing from

pdf report fixed

3343

Output report should show reflection cracking calibration factors that are relevant

to the analysis type fixed

3342

Standard Deviation models should be displayed in the reflection cracking formula

page fixed

3341

Reflection cracking formula should use

actual calibration factors than "1" fixed

3339 Calibration file updater fixed

3338

Change label for pavement type "AC over AC

Semi-Rigid" fixed

3337

Layer Identifier error in PDF report after running imported JPCP over JPCP file build in

old ME fixed

3336

Editing Traffic and Project Specific

Calibration Factors no change required

3335

Test Suite Name: ICM and JULEA APIs: Test

Case ID:UT38 no change required

3334

3333

3332

3331

3330

3329

3328

3327

Importing an old AC over JPCP file produced

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3326

Importing old file of "New Flexible

Pavement" over lime produced error fixed

3325

Importing New JPCP over lime file produced

an error fixed

3324 Add Import option for Calibration XML files fixed

3323

Additional registry location for issue

0003138 fixed

3322 Oracle database character identifier fixed

3321

Local Calibrations did not transfer when running Overlay Designs built in previous

software version 2.0 suspended

3320

Saturated permeability in SI version is

slightly different fixed

3319 Cap reflection cracking rate to 1.0 or 100% fixed

3318 Program doesn't run with Bedrock fixed

3317

Importing AC over AC Overlay from Version 2.0 and Running on version 2.1 produced

error fixed

3316

Error in output report for AC total fatigue

cracking reliability fixed

3314

Interface range file issue - new flexible

pavement no change required

3313

QuadAxleDisDefaults.dat has trailing comma

on header line fixed

3312

Analysis fails during reflection cracking - Due

to permissions fixed

3310 Green Lights fixed

3309 Version number fixed

3308 Using a old file in the new version fixed

3307

SI AC over AC projects do not complete their

analysis fixed

3306 Reflection Cracking Test Case 980 fixed

3303 Reflection Testing Test Case 974 fixed

3302

Reflection Cracking Test Case 963 and 970

Overlays fixed

3300

Reflection Cracking Test Case 960 AC over

AC fixed

3299

JPCP fixed

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3297

AC fixed

3296

Reflection Cracking Test Case 952 Ac over

JPCP fixed

3294

AC fixed

3293 Reflection Cracking - AC over AC project no change required

3285 Can't copy/paste Traffic object fixed

3284

Add Import Axle Load Distribution XML file

option fixed

3281 Error in JPCP IRI Calculation fixed

3277 .dgp to .dgpx file converter issue won't fix

3272

HRESULT error encountered attempting to

generate Excel output report unable to reproduce

3266 Freezing index not calculated correctly fixed

3264

License service fails and does not restart

properly fixed

3256 Property grid not filling screen correctly fixed

3222

IRI and Faulting not predicted for one of the

sensitivity analysis runs fixed

3208 Pavement ME HELP not working fixed

3188

Import of Chemically Stabilized (Cement

Stabilized) Layer not working fixed

3178

the thermal cracking summarized in PDF output does not match with that from Excel

output no change required

3170 Customer cannot get projects to run fixed

3165 CRCP Punchout Reliability no change required

3163 Site license failure fixed

3160 Help button does not work fixed

3158 Bug in AC over AC for Level 2 Rehab fixed

3140 Can't generate output report no change required

3138 Darwin registry edits - Click one application fixed

3134 ME Design license service not working fixed

3113 TC Master/ TC model failure fixed

3108 Batch mode not running correctly fixed

3099

Grace period for Workstation and Site

licenses fixed

3097

ME Pavement Design changes IE download

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4 Outstanding Issues

This section will detail known existing issues in this release of the software and any workarounds available for those issues.

Mantis ID Issue Known Workarounds

3359

Subgrade resilient modulus showing from upper layer value instead of subgrade layer

N/A

3350

Rehabilitation Level on Overlay Projects

N/A

3260 XML Validator page is down N/A

3352

Add Import option for Calibration XML files

N/A

3311

Got error message while using PEN200-300 binder grade

N/A

3115

Error in Creep Compliance output reports

N/A

3292

EMWS - Detect Read/Write Permissions Before Running Service

N/A

3287 License expiration notifications N/A

2954

No climate data for Nebraska state.

N/A

3056

Discrepency in Dgd_subK for bonded PCC pavements

N/A

3278

AC Over AC not properly checking flexible layer errors

N/A

3150 PvMEDLicense.license file N/A

3095

License not showing up as activated when administrator performs installation

N/A

3167

Climate stations available in Educational License

N/A

3201 Optimum water content N/A

3238

Change label for layer type "Sandwich Granular"

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5 FAQ

This section describes the Frequently Asked Questions regarding Pavement ME Design.

1) The analysis seems to halt partway through execution and never finishes. What’s going on?

Often this is the case when the project has been saved to a location where either the ME Design executable or the ExecutionManagerWindowsService (EMWS) does not have read/write

permissions. The EMWS is used to run the analysis and does by default has “local system” privileges. Usually these privileges are insufficient for writing necessary analysis files to common save locations such as network drives.

To resolve this issue, you can try saving the project locally (such as in your My Documents or My ME Design directories) and then rerun the analysis. Alternatively, you can change the logon permissions for the EMWS in local services in Windows to an account with access to the saved project file location. Note that this will require administrative permission on your machine.

2) Educational license says “Activated Successfully” then ME Design restarts and shows Unlicensed. What can I do?

This problem is due to an older version of the software requiring the validation key be present in the MEDesign.LogicNP.txt file. The validation key has since been integrated into the software and no longer resides in this file. To work around this issue try the following steps:

 Close ME Design

 Navigate to C:\ProgramData\AASHTOWare\ME Design (Note that the “ProgramData” folder is a hidden directory by default under Windows).

 Open the text file "MEDesign.LogicNP.txt"

 Add a line under the number and type "a"

 Save the file. You may need to save the file to your desktop first, then move and overwrite the file in this directory.

 Start ME Design.

3) My license activates successfully, but then when the program re-launches it shows up as Unlicensed, or tells me my license has expired…What can I do??

The issue is due to an invalid PvMED_License.license file in the

C:\ProgramData\AASHTOWare\ME Design folder. Navigate to this folder and delete the file, then reactivate your license. It should stay activated this time.

4) I am trying to run an analysis using "Special Axle Configuration", but I can't find this option within the software. Is "Special Axle Configuration" still available in ME Design?

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11 Special axle is now available as of build 2.0.19 in ME Design. Please see the help manual for further instructions.

5) ME Design seems to be installed and working fine until the user tries to analyze a pavement section and gets the following message in the output box. “…Unable to start due to execution fault.”

The user needs to access the local services on their machine, locate the

ExecutionManagerWindowsService and restart it. They then need to restart ME Design. That should resolve the issue.

6) I am using AASHTO ME Design Version 1.1 Build 1.1.32. It gives an error (Figure 1) when I make one of the rows of classes in axle load distribution (Single, Tandem, Tridem and Quad) equal to zero. Furthermore, the software does not allow a run of the project before fixing this error. This problem was not present in the previous version of ME Design (Version 1.0.18).

Enter axle load distribution “100” instead of “0” at the lowest weight level (see blue highlighted cell in the attached screenshot). This is a temporary solution. It will be fixed in the next release.

7) When I run the software I get an error: Error running modulus.exe.Program cannot achieve optimization of dynamic modulus master curve. G* inputs do not allow convergence. Analysis aborted.” What can I do to fix this?

This error message indicates that for your input data for the modulus.exe could not achieve optimization of the sigmoidal function. Have the user check their G* input data.

6 Upgrading

To upgrade to the newest version of the software, users will need to uninstall the current version and then reinstall the new version of the software on their machines. They will be required to input their license code after the program is installed and run. Users using a network based license will be required to input the license service URL as well. The new version of the software can be downloaded at

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7 Contact information

If you have any questions regarding these release notes, or regarding the ME Design software, please contact the ME Design Support Team at:

The ME Design Support Team

Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-877-500-3496

Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm CST

Applied Research Associates. Release Notes. Build 2.2