Simulation of Permanent Deformation in High-Modulus Asphalt Pavement with Sloped and Horizontally Curved Alignment

Mulian Zheng,Lili Han,Hongyin Li,Zhanlei Xu,Chongtao Wang,Qinglei Ma

doi:10.3390/app7040331

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the permanent deformation of high-modulus asphalt pavement in special road using viscoelastic theory. Based on the creep test, the Prony series representation of Burgers model parameters for different asphalt mixtures were obtained and used in the deformation simulation of a high-modulus asphalt pavement situated in a horizontally curved ramp. The orthogonal design method was used to show the effect of different factors on the deformation. Results reveal that rutting in curved ramp was greater than in straightaway. Further, evident upheaval was found on the downhill pavement surface and outer pavement parts of the curve due to longitudinal friction force and sideway force. In addition, the upper and middle asphalt courses in such road seemed more crucial to pavement anti-rutting performance, since inclusion of shear force changed pavement deformation characteristic and the potential rutting area tended to move up. Finally, a preliminary equation to predict rutting in sloped and curved road with widely accepted pavement structure in China was proposed.

Highlights

Thermal cracking and fatigue cracking have long been regarded as serious issues confronting asphalt pavement due to increasing aggressiveness posed by huge traffic volume, heavy axle load and severe climate conditions [1]
With the development of computing technique and the publishing of a variety of commercial finite element software, modeling permanent deformation using experimentation-based viscoelastic mechanics has been preferred by many researchers [7,8,9]
Two optimized gradations were used to fabricate HMACs in this research. They were developed by the authors in preliminary studies [20], which are denoted by HMAC-16 and HMAC-20 (HMAC is short for high-modulus asphalt concrete, 16/20 is nominal maximum particle size)

Summary

Introduction

Thermal cracking and fatigue cracking have long been regarded as serious issues confronting asphalt pavement due to increasing aggressiveness posed by huge traffic volume, heavy axle load and severe climate conditions [1]. With the development of computing technique and the publishing of a variety of commercial finite element software, modeling permanent deformation using experimentation-based viscoelastic mechanics has been preferred by many researchers [7,8,9]. Their studies focused mainly on rutting in simple road, i.e., straightaways. It was found that rutting in special roads such as long steep uphill road, sharp horizontal curve, intersections, etc., were more serious, since pavement stress in these cases seems more intricate and vehicle speed is considerably reduced [10,11].

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion