Dynamic behaviour of pavement on a two-parameter viscoelastic foundation subjected to loads moving with variable speeds

Abstract

ABSTRACT The dynamic response of a multilayer finite plate resting on a two-parameter viscoelastic foundation to moving variable loads is obtained analytically/numerically. The governing differential equation of a multi-layer finite plate resting on a two-parameter viscoelastic foundation is derived firstly. Then, the dynamic response is derived analytically using mode superposition and Duhamel’s formula, followed by the solving of the numerical method. Next, the proposed solution is verified by comparing the degraded solution with both the field measurement data and the known theoretical results. Three different loading models are assessed to select the loading model that would provide insight into the effects of acceleration and deceleration. The effects of foundation parameters and vehicle parameters, especially the acceleration or deceleration and initial velocity of the moving load, on the dynamic response of the multilayer plate are compared through parametric studies. The numerical results suggest that acceleration and deceleration exert considerable effects on the dynamic response of the plate, and that the stiffness of pavement exposed to frequent acceleration and deceleration should be increased by at least 15% to counteract the effects of variable speed.