Pavements & traffic · Pavement materials
Weighted plasticity index & base suitability calculator
Weighted plasticity index and plasticity modulus for unbound pavement material checks.
Standard: Austroads / state road authority practice (WPI = PI × P425)
Open the live calculator → All pavements & traffic calculators
Inputs in the worked example
The live calculator starts with these values; change any of them and every result, check and diagram updates instantly.
| Input | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Plasticity index | 8 | % |
| Passing 0.425 mm | 22 | % |
| Linear shrinkage | 3.5 | % |
| Max WPI | 200 |
Worked example — results
| Result | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| WPI = PI × %passing 0.425 | 176.0 | |
| Plasticity modulus PI × P425 (same index, %·%) | 176.0 | |
| Weighted LS = LS × P425 | 77.00 |
- ✓ WPI ≤ limit
Method, formulas and assumptions
- WPI = PI × %passing 0.425 = 8*22 = 176
- Plasticity modulus PI × P425 (same index, %·%) = 176 = 176
- Weighted LS = LS × P425 = 3.5*22 = 77
Related pavements & traffic calculators
- Asphalt volumetrics (Marshall) — Air voids, VMA and VFA from bulk and maximum densities, with Marshall stability and flow checks.
- Flexible pavement: mechanistic check (CIRCLY-style) — Mechanistic check of a flexible pavement under the Austroads Standard Axle. Layers are transformed by…
- Concrete (rigid) pavement thickness — Plain concrete pavement or hardstand under a design axle. The subgrade reaction k comes from the CBR and is…
- Asphalt overlay from FWD deflections — Falling-weight deflectometer bowls at each test point give the surface modulus (from D0), the subgrade…
- Design traffic (ESA) for pavements — Cumulative heavy vehicle axle groups and ESAs over the design period with compound growth.
- Granular pavement thickness (thin surfacing) — Total granular cover above the subgrade from CBR and design traffic: t = [219 − 211 log CBR + 58 (log CBR)²]…
For preliminary design and education. Check every result against the current standard and your own engineering judgement before use.