Hygro-thermal-dynamic problem of asphalt pavement system subjected to a moving harmonic load

Abstract

This article considers the multi-layer asphalt pavement system as a rectangular sandwich plate and utilizes the first-order shear deformation theory (FSTD) of plates to analyze the hygro-thermo-dynamic response of a porous viscoelastic asphalt system subjected to a mobile harmonic load. The porosity of asphalt layer is assumed to be distributed along the thickness and in-plane directions in some common traits: uniform, varying symmetric and varying asymmetric. A combination of Hamilton’s principle and Fourier series analysis allows one to derive and solve the motion equations. This step is followed by a comparison with available data in the literature and using finite element tools to verify the accuracy of the developed formulation. In addition, the effects of the excitation frequency, load velocity, viscoelastic medium, distribution of porosity in different directions, and variations of temperature and moisture on the response of described system are carefully investigated, indicating the necessity of taking all these parameters into account when designing such systems. Interestingly, the varying symmetric distribution offers certain advantages that makes it a better choice for porosity dispersal.