A novel approach for the mechanical response of cement concrete pavement structure considering the interlaminar interface shear slip effect

Abstract

The traditional theoretical analysis method has many problems such as cumbersome calculation and low efficiency, and there is a relative lack of research on the simplified mechanical model in the field of road engineering. To further improve and enrich the existing theoretical analysis of pavement structures, and to realize the rapid analysis of the mechanical behavior of cement concrete pavement structure (CCPS), based on the state-space method, a new approach is proposed to analyze the mechanical response of the CCPS, taking the interlaminar interface shear slip effect into account. The CCPS is considered as a two-layered Euler beam. A state equation is established to investigate the static responses of the CCPS with explicit consideration of the interlaminar interface shear slip effect under the action of an arbitrary vertical load and is solved by matrix theory. Subsequently, the present solution is validated by the literature published and the numerical simulation. In addition, the effects of the interlayer shear stiffness, thickness of the base course, stiffness of Winkler foundation springs, and bending stiffness on the deformations of the CCPS, and the influence of external loads on the interlayer distributing shear forces are revealed. It is indicated that the interlaminar interface shear slip effect exhibits a significant influence on the deflection and bending deformation of the CCPS. Moreover, the proposed solution can not only be employed conveniently for the consideration of any interlaminar contact conditions and vertical load distributions but also be reduced to obtain the responses of a single-layer mechanical model.