Viscoelastic modelling of an asphalt pavement based on actual tire-pavement contact pressure

Abstract

A three-dimensional finite element (3-D FE) modelling was conducted based on non-uniform distributed tire-pavement contact pressure, full interfacial layer bonding conditions, and viscoelastic characterisation of the asphalt layers. In general, high temperatures were observed to be beneficial to the bottom of the asphalt layer – both the tensile and shear stresses decreased as the temperature was increased. By contrast, the shear stresses increased on the surface of the asphalt layer with an increase in temperature – thus, increasing the propensity to surface shear failure as the temperature increased. Overall, the results indicated that under elastic modelling assumptions, there is a high propensity for failure at the bottom of the asphalt and/or base layer due to high tensile stresses. With viscoelastic modelling assumption, however, the asphalt layer is more likely to suffer from surface shear failure due to high shear stresses on the surface.