Numerical Study of Effects of Different Base on Asphalt Pavement Responses Using FEM

Abstract

The current trend of flexible pavement design is moving from an empirical approach to a mechanistic based design methodology. The equations used in the empirical design method to determine the pavement structure rely on the empirical relationships between design variables. These equations are only valid within the range, in which the data had been collected from test roads. The perceived deficiencies of the empirical design approach motivated engineers and researchers to develop the mechanistic-empirical methodology. The mechanistic analysis of flexible pavement is an essential part of mechanistic based design approach. The analysis provides pavement responses, such as stresses, strains and displacements, to traffic and environmental loading. Then, these responses are used in distress models to calculate damage accumulated over the design period. In this study, the commercial FEM package ABAQUS was used to analysis pavement response under wheel load. A typical pavement structure was selected. Four types of asphalt base material were used and the corresponding pavement responses under wheel load were analyzed and compared.