A new load bearing capacity assessment method of the road pavement based on surface strain and the spectrum of the acceleration

Abstract

Based on the coupling res model of vehicular and road, the influences of surface layer modulus, surface layer thickness and equivalent modulus of elasticity on the spectrum of the acceleration, surface deflection under wheels, and surface strain at the distance of 0.4 m to 0.8 m away from wheels are analyzed. Results show that the fundamental frequency of the road pavement increases with the growth of surface layer modulus and equivalent modulus of elasticity, and decreases with the increase of surface layer thickness. Both surface deflections and surface strains decrease with the increase of equivalent modulus of elasticity as well as surface layer modulus and thickness. Moreover, when the equivalent modulus of elasticity is more than 2500 MPa and surface layer modulus is more than 4000 MPa, surface deflections and surface strains have a little variation with the enhance of the surface layer modulus and equivalent modulus of elasticity. The solution method of the spectrum of the acceleration and equivalent modulus of elasticity, surface deflection under wheels, surface strain at the distance of 0.4 m to 0.8 m away from wheels, and surface deflection based on surface strain are established. The load bearing capacity assessment method of the road pavement based on surface strain and the spectrum of the acceleration is provided. Finally, the feasibility and accuracy of this method is verified by comparing measured values in field testing. The method in this paper provides a theoretical support for the design, construction and maintenance of road engineering.