Tangential forces in the contact area of upper road layer with the base

Abstract

Low-temperature cracking is one of the main reasons for the deterioration of the upper layer of roads in regions with cold winters. A large number of works focused on deterioration prevention are known, however the interdisciplinary problem of low-temperature cracking remains relevant. The important, but insufficiently studied factor is the distribution of normal and tangential (shear) forces acting on the upper layer of the road. The objective of the current study was to clarify insight about the distribution of tangential forces in the contact area of the upper layer of the road with the base. There are works in which it is assumed that these forces are distributed by a piecewise linear law. We propose a mechanical and mathematical model and an analytical solution to the problem of the distribution of shear forces in the contact area of the upper layer with the base. The main result of the study: it is found that the distribution of shear forces in the segment of the asphalt concrete layer is described by a second-order polynomial. However, the shear stresses are distributed linearly over the entire length of the segment and reach the highest modulo values in the area of the end sections of the segment. The results of the presented study clarify the understanding of functioning of the upper road layer at low temperatures. By that, the contribution to the solution of the problem of increasing the crack resistance of roads in regions with cold winters is made.