# ALIZE LCPC

> Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design per French LCPC Method

Canonical: https://www.ramcadds.com/products/alize-lcpc
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Last verified: 2026-07-18
Categories: infrastructure-geotechnical

ALIZE LCPC is a pavement structural design and analysis software based on the French LCPC mechanistic-empirical design method. It is used by road engineers and infrastructure consultants for the structural design of flexible and rigid pavements, airports, and other paved surfaces under traffic loading.

ALIZE-LCPC is a mechanistic-empirical pavement design program from Université Gustave Eiffel (formerly IFSTTAR/LCPC), distributed by itech and supplied in India and South Asia by RAM CADDSYS. It applies Burmister multi-layer elastic theory to compute stresses/strains/deflections through a layered pavement, then checks them against French rational-method fatigue and rutting criteria. Four modules cover new roads, strengthening and rehabilitation, airfields and port platforms.

ALIZE LCPC, developed by the French Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC), is the reference software for mechanistic-empirical pavement design in France and many French-speaking countries. It computes stresses, strains, and deflections in layered pavement systems under wheel loads and applies fatigue models to determine pavement life and required layer thicknesses. RAM CADDSYS distributes ALIZE LCPC for the Indian and South Asian market.

## Key points

- ALIZE-LCPC applies the French rational pavement design method, using Burmister multi-layer elastic theory to compute stresses, strains, and deflections through a layered pavement structure.
- Design verification checks calculated fatigue (εt) and rutting (εz) strains against admissible values derived from risk, traffic aggressiveness, and the 13 t French reference axle — predicting cumulative damage rather than a single fixed service life.
- Four dedicated modules cover new road pavements, strengthening and rehabilitation with FWD/Benkelman back-calculation, airfield pavements developed with STAC support, and port and logistics platforms.
- The software is developed by Université Gustave Eiffel (formerly IFSTTAR/LCPC), the French institution that originated the method in the 1980s, and is distributed worldwide by itech.
- For projects outside France, ALIZE-LCPC's general multi-layer elastic solver accepts user-defined materials, loads, and criteria, though verification against another country's design standard remains the engineer's responsibility.
- RAM CADDSYS supplies ALIZE-LCPC in India and South Asia with licensing, training, and pavement-engineering support.
- Implements the official French rational (mechanistic-empirical) pavement design method end-to-end, from layer stresses and strains to verified thicknesses, so designs are defensible against NF P98-086 and the French pavement design catalogue.
- Burmister multi-layer linear-elastic engine computes stress, strain, and deflection at any point and depth of a layered structure under real wheel and axle loads.
- Covers the full pavement lifecycle — new design, rehabilitation/strengthening, and evaluation — in one tool, including back-calculation of layer moduli from FWD, Benkelman beam, and deflectometer data.
- Four dedicated application modules (roads, airfields, port/logistics platforms, strengthening) extend the same rational method from highways to runways and container yards.
- Rich built-in French materials database (bituminous, hydraulically bound, concrete, untreated granular, soils) plus user-defined materials for region-specific projects.
- Applies fatigue (εt) and subgrade-rutting (εz) admissible-strain criteria with risk, traffic aggressiveness, and the 13 t French reference axle, predicting cumulative damage rather than a single fixed life.
- Backed by the developing institution (Université Gustave Eiffel, formerly LCPC/IFSTTAR) with exclusive distribution, support, and training via Itech — the authoritative source of the method.
- Available in India and South Asia through RAM CADDSYS with local licensing, training, and pavement-engineering support.

## Why engineers pick it

- **Mechanistic-Empirical Design** — Rigorous multi-layer elastic theory combined with empirical fatigue models for accurate pavement life prediction under actual traffic loading and climate conditions.
- **Flexible and Rigid Pavement** — Covers both flexible (asphalt) and rigid (concrete) pavement structures with appropriate fatigue and distress models for each pavement type.
- **Traffic Loading Analysis** — Comprehensive traffic loading input with standard and custom axle configurations, traffic growth projection, and equivalency factor calculations for pavement thickness design.
- **Engineering Reports** — Professional pavement design reports with full stress, strain, and deflection output, fatigue life calculations, and recommended layer thickness for submission and review.

## Capabilities

- **Rational French design verification** — Compares calculated strains to admissible fatigue (εt for bound materials) and rutting (εz for unbound materials and subgrade) values, factoring in risk, traffic aggressiveness, cumulative traffic, and the 13 t reference axle per the French rational method.
- **Freeze–thaw (gel–dégel) verification** — Includes frost-protection checks using simplified and Fourier-based thermal methods so pavements can be verified against frost penetration where climate requires it.
- **Special and multi-wheel load modelling** — Models circular and rectangular load footprints and complex gear configurations — single, tandem, and tridem road axles as well as aircraft landing-gear assemblies and handling-equipment loads.
- **Multi-Layer Elastic Analysis** — Compute vertical stress, horizontal strain, and surface deflection in layered pavement systems using Burmister multi-layer elastic theory under single, tandem, and tridem axle loads.
- **Pavement Thickness Design** — Iterative design to determine minimum layer thicknesses meeting allowable fatigue criteria for bituminous and unbound layers over the design traffic period.
- **Back-Calculation from FWD** — Layer modulus back-calculation from Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) measurements for pavement evaluation and rehabilitation design.
- **Airport Pavement Design** — Specialized aircraft gear load modeling for airport apron, taxiway, and runway pavement design using LCPC methodology.
- **Material Characterization** — Built-in material library with French catalog materials and user-defined layer properties for bituminous mixtures, granular bases, and stabilized subgrades.
- **Sensitivity Analysis** — Parametric sensitivity analysis to evaluate the influence of layer stiffness, thickness, and subgrade conditions on pavement performance and life.

## Applications

- **New road and highway pavement design** — Structural design of new flexible, thick-bituminous, semi-rigid, and rigid concrete pavements for roads and highways using the French design guide and catalogue.
- **Pavement evaluation, rehabilitation and strengthening** — Evaluating in-service pavements — residual life, distress diagnosis, and back-calculated layer moduli from FWD or Benkelman beam deflection surveys — then designing the overlay or strengthening solution.
- **Airport and airfield pavement design** — Design of runway, taxiway, and apron pavements under aircraft landing-gear loading using the 2013 STAC-DGAC/IFSTTAR rational airfield method, with an aircraft database and daily-traffic assistant.
- **Port and logistics platform design** — Dimensioning heavy-duty container-handling yards and logistics platforms for extreme static and dynamic loads from stacked containers and handling equipment, per RGRA n°916.

## In depth

### Why does pavement design need a dedicated mechanistic-empirical program rather than a generic structural solver?

Pavement layers respond to repeated wheel loading through fatigue and rutting mechanisms that generic structural software isn't built to track, and ALIZE-LCPC exists to apply the French rational method to exactly that problem — computing layered stresses and strains, then comparing them against admissible fatigue and rutting limits over the full design traffic period.

ALIZE-LCPC implements the French rational (mechanistic-empirical) pavement design method — codified in NF P98-086, the 1994 SETRA/LCPC design guide, and the 1998 structures catalogue — end-to-end, from layer stresses and strains to verified thicknesses, not simply a member-by-member structural check. It verifies layer thicknesses against exactly these references, comparing calculated tensile strain at the base of bound layers (εt) and vertical strain at the top of the subgrade (εz) to admissible values that already factor in risk, traffic aggressiveness, and the 13 t French reference axle. The result is a cumulative-damage estimate over the design traffic period rather than a single pass/fail number tied to an arbitrary service life.

The same rational engine extends across the pavement lifecycle: new road and highway design, strengthening and rehabilitation of existing pavements using layer moduli back-calculated from FWD or Benkelman-beam deflection data, airfield pavements sized to the STAC-DGAC/IFSTTAR guide with aircraft landing-gear loads, and port and logistics platforms designed to RGRA n°916 for stacked-container loading. Where climate requires it, ALIZE-LCPC adds a freeze-thaw (gel-dégel) check using simplified and Fourier-based thermal methods, so frost penetration is verified alongside the mechanical design.

### How does ALIZE-LCPC calculate a pavement design?

ALIZE-LCPC models the pavement as a stack of elastic layers, applies Burmister multi-layer theory to compute the stress and strain field under a chosen wheel or axle load, then iterates layer thicknesses until every checked strain sits within its admissible fatigue or rutting limit.

At the core is a Burmister multi-layer linear-elastic solver that returns vertical stress, horizontal strain, and surface deflection at any point and depth in the layered system. Loads are modelled as circular or rectangular footprints, from single, tandem, and tridem road axles to full aircraft landing-gear assemblies and handling-equipment loads for port and logistics platforms, so the same engine handles a two-lane highway and a container yard.

Material properties come from ALIZE-LCPC's built-in French catalogue — bituminous mixtures, hydraulically bound layers, concrete, untreated granular material, and soils — or from user-defined layers for projects outside the standard catalogue. For rehabilitation work, the strengthening module back-calculates in-situ layer moduli from Falling Weight Deflectometer, Benkelman beam, or other deflection-basin measurements, feeding those moduli back into the same stress/strain/fatigue calculation used for new design, and the software outputs a full engineering report suitable for submission and review.

## Design codes

- **France (NF / LCPC)** — NF P98-086 (2019) — Structural design of pavements and foundations / Guide technique de dimensionnement des chaussées (SETRA/LCPC, 1994) / Catalogue des structures types de chaussées neuves (1998) / Guide des Variantes — frost-thaw (gel-dégel) verification (2003)
- **France (Airfield & Logistics)** — STAC-DGAC / IFSTTAR airfield pavement design guide (2013) / RGRA article n°916 (2013) — port and logistics platforms

## Questions

### What is ALIZE-LCPC software?

ALIZE-LCPC is a mechanistic-empirical pavement design and analysis program that applies the official French (LCPC) rational method. Using the Burmister multi-layer elastic model, it computes stresses, strains, and deflections in layered pavements and verifies layer thicknesses against fatigue and rutting criteria for a target traffic loading.

### Who develops and distributes ALIZE-LCPC?

ALIZE-LCPC is edited by Université Gustave Eiffel, the institution formerly known as IFSTTAR / LCPC (the French public laboratory for roads and bridges) that originated the method in the 1980s. Itech is the exclusive worldwide distributor, providing licensing, technical support, and training. In India and South Asia it is available through RAM CADDSYS.

### What design method and standards does ALIZE-LCPC follow?

It implements the French rational pavement design method, with the New Pavements module referencing NF P98-086 (2019), the 1994 French design guide, and the 1998 pavement structures catalogue. The airfield module follows the 2013 STAC-DGAC/IFSTTAR airfield guide, and the logistics-platform module references RGRA n°916. Design uses the 13 t French reference axle plus risk and traffic-aggressiveness factors.

### What pavement types can it design?

It handles flexible (bituminous) pavements, thick-bituminous structures, semi-rigid pavements with hydraulically bound bases, and rigid concrete pavements — for roads, highways, airfields, and port/logistics platforms.

### What is the theoretical basis of ALIZE-LCPC?

It uses the Burmister multi-layer linear-elastic model to compute stresses and strains at any point or depth in the pavement. Calculated tensile strain at the bottom of bound layers (εt) and vertical strain at the top of the subgrade (εz) are compared to admissible values derived from material fatigue and rutting behaviour and the cumulative design traffic.

### Can ALIZE-LCPC process FWD or deflection-test data?

Yes. The strengthening/rehabilitation module includes back-calculation of layer moduli from deflection-basin measurements taken with Falling Weight Deflectometers, Benkelman beams, or other deflectometers, which supports evaluation and overlay design of existing pavements.

### Does ALIZE-LCPC design airport pavements?

Yes. A dedicated airfield (Aéroports) module implements the 2013 STAC-DGAC/IFSTTAR rational method for airport pavements and includes an aircraft database, daily-traffic assistant, materials database, and damage-analysis tools for runways, taxiways, and aprons.

### Does it include a materials database?

Yes. ALIZE-LCPC ships with the French standardised materials catalogue (bituminous mixes, hydraulically bound materials, concrete, untreated granular layers, and soils) and also lets engineers define their own material properties for projects outside the standard catalogue.

### Can ALIZE-LCPC be used outside France, for example for Indian roads?

The software's built-in standards, catalogue, and reference axle are French, but its core engine is a general multi-layer elastic solver with user-defined materials, loads, and criteria. Engineers can therefore model arbitrary pavement structures and loads; however, verification against another country's design standard (for example IRC guidelines in India) is the engineer's responsibility, as the packaged criteria are based on the French method. Confirm the exact scope with RAM CADDSYS for your project.

### What are the main modules of ALIZE-LCPC?

The application offers modules for new road pavements, pavement strengthening/rehabilitation (with deflection back-calculation), airfield pavements, and port/logistics platforms — all sharing the same Burmister-based rational design engine.

### Is ALIZE-LCPC available in India through RAM CADDSYS?

Yes. RAM CADDSYS distributes ALIZE-LCPC for the Indian and South Asian market, providing software licenses, technical training, and pavement-engineering support.

### How is ALIZE-LCPC licensed and what does it cost?

ALIZE-LCPC is commercial licensed software supplied through Itech and, in India/South Asia, through RAM CADDSYS. Pricing depends on the modules required (roads, airfield, logistics, strengthening) and licence type — contact RAM CADDSYS for a current India quotation and the available module bundles.

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