Evaluation of the influence of interface bonding condition on mechanical responses of bituminous pavement surface layers

Abstract

Roads play a crucial role in the socio‐economic development of a region, providing a means of transportation for people and goods. However, traffic loads, weather conditions, and other factors can lead to damage of road pavements, especially of the surface layer over time. One important factor affecting the response of surface layers under traffic loading is the bonding condition between asphalt layers. In this paper, the aim is to analyze the strains at the base of surface layers in asphalt pavement structures with two different bonding conditions: one with a tack coat and one without tack coat. To achieve this, experimental measurements on full-scale pavement tests and numerical calculations in viscoelasticity are carried out. Calculations are performed using three interface models: bonded interface, sliding interface and thin elastic interface. The findings show that structures with a tack coat exhibit significant sliding at the interface. Moreover, the use of a bonded interface in design methods cannot predict correctly the measurements. In addition, the study shows that taking into account temperature gradients in the pavement structure improves significantly measurement prediction, especially at high temperatures.