Flexible Pavements Dynamic Response under a Moving Wheel

This paper presents results from a research study carried out in order to better understand the mechanical behavior of a pavement under traffic loads. Experimental data comes from CEDEX Test Track, an outdoor research facility located to the north of Madrid. CEDEX is a Public Institution, attached to the Ministry for Public Works, that provides technical support and research in the different areas of the Civil Engineering. The CEDEX facility can test 6 full-scale sections simultaneously; the load is applied by means of 2 automatic vehicles that continuously move along a 300 m closed track. Six full-depth sections were tested, consisting of a 150 mm asphalt concrete layer on different quality subgrades. The structural response was measured in terms of deflection, asphalt horizontal strains and vertical stresses and strains in granular layers, for different conditions of speed and temperature. A comprehensive in-situ testing and laboratory characterization were conducted as well. This research considers the different aspects of the pavement mechanics, such as non-linearity of soils, wheel-asphalt contact surface modeling, and border effects. and special emphasis was placed on the dynamic effects. As a result a model is proposed, and developed with ABAQUS finite element program. Pavement is modeled as a multilayer 3-D structure. The vehicle load is modeled as a loaded surface with variable position, and the problem is solved through a pseudo-dynamic analysis which does not take into account inertia forces (since these were found to be negligible for the typical range of traffic speed), but it does consider the frequency dependence of the mechanical properties of the asphalt mix. Numeric modeling predictions have been compared to actual response measured in the test track sections. This comparison shows the ability of the model to reproduce the fundamental aspects of the structural response of a flexible pavement.

• Corporate Authors:

  Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas (CEDEX)

  Alfonso XII, 3
  Madrid,   Spain  28014
• Authors:
  • Mateos, Angel
  • de la Fuente Martin, Pablo
  • Ayuso, Javier Perez
• Conference:
  • APT '08. Third International Conference
  • Location: Madrid , Spain
  • Date: 2008-10-1 to 2008-10-3
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 31p
• Monograph Title: Third International Conference on Accelerated Pavement Testing. APT 2008. Impacts and Benefits from APT Programs

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Finite element method; Flexible pavements; Load tests; Test tracks; Traffic loads; Wheel loads
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01135810
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 23 2009 9:41AM