Effects of pavement roughness on shakedown limits under moving traffic loadings

Abstract

This study proposes a lower-bound shakedown analysis method for pavement systems under moving traffic loadings considering pavement roughness. The effects of key variables, including moving speed, wavelength irregularity, and the modulus and thickness of pavements, on the shakedown limit are discussed. The calculation results indicate that pavement roughness has a considerable effect on shakedown limits, which can be overestimated in some cases when the pavement roughness is not considered. The effect of pavement roughness on the shakedown limit of a homogeneous subgrade layer gradually decreases with increasing speed. Additionally, the shakedown limit decreases with wavelength irregularity, particularly under high-speed traffic loadings. Furthermore, the effect of pavement roughness on the shakedown limit of a two-layered pavement system is more pronounced for a larger pavement modulus and thickness and a lower moving speed.