ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF ROAD TEST RIGID PAVEMENTS

A CRITICAL REVIEW IS PRESENTED OF EXISTING THEORIES OF STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF RIGID PAVEMENTS. THE THEORIES DIFFER PRINCIPALLY IN THE MODEL SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE SUBGRADE SUPPORTING THE PAVEMENT SLAB. TWO PRINCIPAL MODELS ARE BEING USED: (1) THE ELASTIC-ISOTROPIC SOLID, CHARACTERIZED BY A MODULUS OF DEFORMATION AND A POISSON'S RATIO, AND (2) THE WINKLER SUBGRADE, CHARACTERIZED BY A COEFFICIENT OF SUBGRADE REACTION. IT IS SHOWN THAT, WITH A SUITABLE SELECTION OF THE COEFFICIENT OF SUBGRADE REACTION, THEORIES BASED ON THE WINKLER MODEL FOR THE SUBGRADE CAN ALSO FURNISH ADEQUATE ANSWERS FOR SLABS RESTING ON A SUBGRADE BEHAVING AS AN ELASTIC-SOLID. EQUATIONS ARE PRESENTED TO CALCULATE THE SUBGRADE OF FINITE DEPTH. THE STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR IS STUDIED OF RIGID PAVEMENTS OF THE AASHO ROAD TEST. IT IS SHOWN THAT THE OVERALL RESPONSE OF THE AASHO SUBGRADE TO LOADS IS COMPARABLE TO RESPONSE OF AN IDEAL ISOTROPIC-ELASTIC SOLID. HOWEVER, WITH PROPER SELECTION OF THE COEFFICIENTS OF SUBGRADE REACTION, THE WINKLER SUBGRADE MODEL CAN ALSO LEAD TO GOOD PREDICTIONS OF PAVEMENT STRESSES AND DEFLECTIONS. A MATHEMATICAL EQUATION IS DERIVED WHICH FURNISHES A RATIONAL BASIS FOR EVALUATION OF EQUIVALENCY OF SINGLE AND TANDEM LOADS UNDER MORE GENERAL CONDITIONS THAN POSSIBLE IN THE PAST.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1969/291/291-013.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Theory of Pavement Design and presented at the 48th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Vesić, Aleksandar S
  • Saxena, Surendra K
• Publication Date: 1969

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 156-158
• Monograph Title: Design, evaluation, and performance of pavement systems
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 291
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coefficient of subgrade reaction; Deflection; Mathematical models; Modulus of elasticity; Pavements; Poisson ratio; Reviews; Rigid pavements; Stresses; Structural analysis; Structural mechanics; Subgrade (Pavements); Theory
• Identifier Terms: AASHO Road Test
• Uncontrolled Terms: Structural behavior
• Old TRIS Terms: Pavement deflection; Poissons ratio
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00207059
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 9 1970 12:00AM