EVALUATION OF RUTTING POTENTIAL IN ASPHALT MIXES USING FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

Quality of asphalt mix (HMA) is a key factor that affects the performance of flexible pavements. Use of poor quality mix and then dealing with the outcome through pavement performance evaluation is often too costly. One remedy is to evaluate the quality of the mix at the design stage of a project. In recent years, performance-based testing has gained popularity so that problematic mixes can be identified and eliminated. Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) has been successfully used in recent years for evaluation of permanent deformation or rutting in both hot and cold mix asphalt specimens. However, testing of asphalt mixes in the APA is often expensive and time consuming. Also, a small-scale model with only 1 layer of asphalt is usually tested in APA while a typical pavement cross section is made up of several layers. In view of layered pavement systems encountered in practice, 3-D finite element models (FEM) can be used to relate the APA test results with the in-service performance of the pavement. The primary objectives of this study are to develop an FEM to simulate the lab testing of asphalt mixes in APA for rutting and to relate the test results to basic material properties. The APA tests results have been used to obtain the associated material parameters through simulation of the rut vs. loading cycle response. These material parameters can be used to simulate rutting in an actual pavement using a 3-D FEM. A visco-elasto-plastic model (creep model) has been used to represent the time-dependent characteristics of the asphalt mixture. Factors having significant effects on rutting potential of asphalt mixes have been identified. A commercially available FEM program, ABAQUS, is used in this study. FEM results show that the ABAQUS-based model can adequately account for cyclic loading and other factors and, as such, can be used effectively to evaluate the rutting potential of in-service pavement.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Full Conference Proceedings available on CD-ROM.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Pirabarooban, S
  • Zaman, Musharraf
  • Tarefder, R A
• Conference:
  • The Transportation Factor 2003. Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Transportation Association of Canada. (Congres et Exposition Annuels de l'Association des transport du Canada)
  • Location: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Date: 2003-9-21 to 2003-9-24
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt mixtures; Asphalt pavements; Deformation; Finite element method; Flexible pavements; Mix design; Pavement components; Pavement design; Pavement distress; Pavement layers; Pavement performance; Rutting
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00972273
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 2 2004 12:00AM