Pavement Interface Research Articles

Experimental and numerical study on ovalisation test for pavement and HMA layer interface behaviour assessment

Good bonding of interfaces between pavement layers is fundamental to ensure their durability. The ovalisation test constitutes an in-situ way of assessing pavement interface conditions. This test requires setting a device equipped with contact sensors into a circular core hole. During the trafficking of a heavy vehicle nearby, diameter variations of the core hole are measured above and below the considered interface to estimate its bonding condition. Sensitivity analysis was performed to understand how the ovalisation device could help in pavement evaluation. This study shows that an increasing offset leads to a non-linear response on ovalisation test results. Also, the speed of the rolling load highlights the viscoelastic properties of the upper layers. As a result, interface bonding evaluation with the ovalisation test should be made at a small offset and a low speed for the rolling wheel. Numerical simulations are also proposed to confirm the experimental data observed.

Investigation of Locked Wheel Skid Tester Practicability on Horizontal Curves: A Camera-Based Field Implementation

The locked wheel skid tester (LWST) has the capability to perform efficient on-site pavement skid resistance tests without traffic control. A LWST friction test measures the longitudinal friction force and vertical load taking place at the tire–pavement interface of a standard locked wheel at a specified test speed. However, the test is specified only for straight and level pavements. Possible reasons that the LWST may fail to provide reliable friction data during vehicle cornering are biased tire speed and force measurements, missing information of vehicle side friction, and risky trailer fishtailing. Horizontal curves are widely distributed in the highway network and have a higher crash rate compared to straight segments. This paper developed a camera-based setup to monitor instant cornering behaviors of a LWST traversing on horizontal curves. Along with data from the standard LWST speed sensor and force transducer, the upgraded tester can also operate as a vehicle side friction sensor and an oversteering alert system. The dual-camera-equipped experimental vehicle was employed in field friction tests on different types of pavement horizontal curves. The captured video frames were then utilized in image processing algorithms for real-time test tire speed, sideslip angle, and articulation angle measurements with high accuracies during tests. The impact of pavement horizontal alignment design on LWST friction measurements and the result performance were assessed. The investigation extends LWST practicability on highway horizontal curves with evaluated restrictions.

Analytical solution of multilayered structures with Green’s function

It is well known that for solving the problem of thin multilayered structures in complex working conditions, the calculation accuracy and efficiency of the finite element method are significantly inferior to those of the analytical solution. However, the prediction of road life requires precise and detailed mechanical performance analysis. To satisfy this requirement, this study first utilized the three-dimensional Green’s function adapted to transversely isotropic multilayered structures with arbitrary thicknesses based on the mirroring image principle. Then, the analytical solution of multilayered pavements subjected to multiple loadings without complex integral or inverse transformations was derived. Furthermore, an equivalent sliding interface model was proposed to simulate the imperfect interface or thin interlayer of multilayered pavements. Numerical examples verified the suitability and accuracy of the analytical solution thorough the comparison with the other theory and experimental results. Moreover, the key factors affecting the performance of pavements, such as the anisotropy and thickness of each layer, loading direction, and pavement friction coefficient, were investigated to provide reliable numerical and theoretical bases for the optimal design of pavement structures.

Experimental Study on Interface Model of Asphalt Pavement under Vertical Load

Layered asphalt pavement makes the interlayer contact more complicated. In order to further understand the characteristics of interlayer interface of asphalt pavement under vehicle load, this paper analyzes the change rule of interlayer interface of asphalt pavement under a vertical load condition, based on the Goodman model. According to the characteristics of asphalt pavement, the experiment temperature, gradation, amount of viscosity-level oil, type of viscosity-level oil, and vertical compressive stress are taken as parameters, and the universal testing machine (UTM) and self-modified test fixture are used to carry out the direct interlayer shear test. Experimental results show that the vertical load has a significant effect on the characteristics of the interlayer interface. With an increase in the vertical load, the maximum bonding coefficient changes greatly. Additionally, when the vertical load is constant, the temperature and spreading amount of viscosity-level oil have a strong influence on the interlayer bonding state. With an increase in temperature, the maximum bonding coefficient decreases. The adhesion coefficient increases first and then decreases with increasing spreading amount. The best spreading amounts of oil between the upper and middle layers, the middle and lower layers, and the lower layer and cement-stabilized base layer under different vertical load conditions are recommended. This study offers important guidance for designing pavement structure.

Investigation of Adhesion Properties of Tire-Asphalt Pavement Interface Considering Hydrodynamic Lubrication Action of Water Film on Road Surface.

To obtain the tire–pavement peak adhesion coefficient under different road states, a field measurement and FE simulation were combined to analyze the tire–pavement adhesion characteristics in this study. According to the identified texture information, the power spectral distribution of the road surface was obtained using the MATLAB Program, and a novel tire hydroplaning FE model coupled with a textured pavement model was established in ABAQUS. Experimental results show that here exists an “anti-skid noncontribution area” for the insulation and lubrication of the water film. Driving at the limit speed of 120 km/h, the critical water film thickness for the three typical asphalt pavements during hydroplaning was as follows: AC pavement, 0.56 mm; SMA pavement, 0.76 mm; OGFC pavement, 1.5 mm. The road state could be divided into four parts dry state, wet sate, lubricated state, and ponding state. Under the dry road state, when the slip rate was around 15%, the adhesion coefficient reached the peak value, i.e., around 11.5% for the wet road state. The peak adhesion coefficient for the different asphalt pavements was in the order OGFC > SMA > AC. This study can provide a theoretical reference for explaining the tire–pavement interactions and improving vehicle brake system performance.

Experimental Study of the Factors Influencing the Performance of the Bonding Interface between Epoxy Asphalt Concrete Pavement and a Steel Bridge Deck

The bonding between pavement and a steel bridge deck is a key component affecting the structural integrity of steel deck pavement and delamination is a major cause. The bonding interface of steel deck pavement was systematically investigated to evaluate the interactive influences of factors, such as the air void of the asphalt concrete pavement, the surface roughness of the steel deck, the thickness of the zinc-rich epoxy primer, and the waterproof bonding membrane, on the bond strength of the pavement interface, through simulated loading, brine immersion, pull-off, and interface observation experiments. The results show that a low air void (<3.0%) was a necessary condition for the corrosion resistance and bonding reliability of the steel deck pavement structure, and a zinc-rich epoxy primer provided an additional guarantee for corrosion resistance of the steel deck pavement; additionally, the combination of steel deck plate roughness in the range of 120–140 μm and zinc-rich epoxy primer thickness in the range of 80–110 μm led to a high bond strength, which was also conducive to the corrosion resistance of the steel bridge plate. The steel deck pavement structure should be designed through combinatorial optimization of multiple factors to create an integrated waterproof and anticorrosion bonding system.

Development of an In Situ Measurement Device for Airfield Pavement Interface Characterization

Abstract Regular pavement condition evaluation is the key to ensuring a good asset management of in-service pavements, because it allows anticipating and optimizing maintenance or rehabilitation works. In particular, interface bonding conditions between asphalt concrete layers are of major concern because in most cases, structural problems come from interface defects, and furthermore, they have a huge impact on the pavement current mechanical behavior and its remaining service life. Usual structural nondestructive testing devices do not allow assessing this parameter on their own. This is the reason why there is a need for an in situ measurement system. The French Civil Aviation Technical Center (STAC) launched an ambitious research and development program with the objective of developing a proof-of-concept for such a device and associated data analysis methodology, which enables characterization of the interface response for several mechanical solicitations, including rolling-wheel passage or heavy weight deflectometer dynamic impulse load, with a two-fold purpose: a better understanding for research purposes of the interface’s mechanical behavior and its evolution during the life of the pavement and to have at their disposal an operational tool to evaluate the interface bonding condition of in-service pavements. This paper presents the measurement device developed by the STAC. It is inspired by the ovalization system invented in the 1970s by the Laboratoires des Ponts et Chaussées, which consists of measuring the diameter variation of a core-hole in three horizontal directions (longitudinal, transverse, and 45°) during the passage of a rolling-wheel. The first part of the paper focuses on the device development process that led to the final prototype. The second part is dedicated to the 3-D finite element modeling developed for data analysis. The results from a field survey, performed on the STAC’s test facility, are finally presented and compared with numerical simulations.

Bonding performance between ultra-high performance concrete and asphalt pavement layer

The bonding performance between the ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and asphalt pavement layers is crucial to prevent the interface of asphalt pavement and bridge deck from falling off. In order to improve the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt pavement layers, the surfaces of UHPC specimens were treated using four different techniques: spreading gravels, spreading steel balls, pickings and grooving. Through the pull-out and shear tests, the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt pavement layers was evaluated. The pull-out strength and shear strength were used to evaluate the influence of different surface patterns on the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt mixture layers. Additionally, the MATLAB software was employed to extract the digital image characteristic parameters of UHPC surfaces, and the neural network was constructed using the characteristic parameters to predict the bonding performance between UHPC and asphalt pavement layers. Results show that the spreading gravels, spreading steel balls, broom picking, cutting machine picking and grooving can all improve the bonding performance. Among the techniques, the cutting machine picking has the most obvious improvement on the pull-out strength and shear strength. The accuracy of neural network prediction model is reliable, and the correlation between the predicted value and the measured value is high. The result is of great significance to enhance the bonding performance between UHPC bridge deck and asphalt pavement layer, thus improving the durability of UHPC bridge structures.

Three-dimensional characterization of bonding features for asphalt pavement interface using a novel interlayer isolation film

Pavement interface bonding largely depends on the interface topography characteristics. This study presents a procedure to characterize the interface bonding features between different types of asphalt concrete layers and reveals the difference of the “interaction effect” between layers. The top and bottom layers of asphalt mixtures were non-destructively separated by a novel interlayer isolation film. An ultra-high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner was used to acquire 3D interface data of interlayer. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to examine the relationship between the damage rate of the interlayer isolation film and its corresponding bonding characteristics. The binary analysis results showed that the damage rate of the isolation film was different due to the asphalt mixture with different gradations in the top and bottom layers. The arithmetic mean curvature (Spc), height distribution skewness (Ssk), and root mean square deviation (Sq) have the most significant effects on the isolation film damage rate at the 99.9 % confidence interval. These characteristics can be used to describe pavement interlayer bonding states. This study provides theoretical support for optimizing the bonding characterization of pavement interfaces.

Optimizing the Texturing Parameters of Concrete Pavement by Balancing Skid-Resistance Performance and Driving Stability.

Curved texturing is an effective technique to improve the skid-resistance performance of concrete pavements, which relies on the suitable combination of the groove parameters. This study aims to optimize these parameters with the consideration of skid-resistance performance and driving stability. A pressure film was adopted to obtain the contact stress distribution at the tire–pavement interface. The evaluated indicator of the stress concentration coefficient was established, and the calculation method for the stationary steering resistance torque was optimized based on actual tire–pavement contact characteristics. Test samples with various groove parameters were prepared use self-design molds to evaluate the influence degree of each groove parameter at different levels on the skid-resistance performance through orthogonal and abrasion resistance tests. The results showed that the groove depth and groove spacing had the most significant influence on the stress concentration coefficient and stationary steering resistance torque, respectively, with the groove depth having the most significant influence on the texture depth. Moreover, the driving stability and durability of the skid-resistance performance could be balanced by optimizing the width of the groove group. After analyzing and comprehensively comparing the influences of various parameters, it was found the parameter combination with width, depth, spacing, and the groove group width, respectively, in 8 mm, 3 mm, 15 mm, and 50 mm can balance the skid-resistance performance and driving stability. The actual engineering results showed that the R2 of the fitting between the stress concentration coefficient and SFC (measured at 60 km/h) was 0.871, which proved the effectiveness of the evaluation index proposed in this paper.

Dynamic pavement response analysis under wide-base tyre considering vehicle-tyre–pavement interaction

The new generation of wide-base tyres shows sustainable benefits in trucking operations and environmental impacts due to less rolling resistance at tyre–pavement interface. It is critical to estimate the influence on pavement response and performance. The objective of this study is to analyse dynamic responses of flexible pavements induced by wide-base tyres using an integrated vehicle-tyre–pavement interaction approach. The impulse response method was used to calculate critical pavement responses under moving loads with random amplitudes estimated using a full-truck model. The impact of wide-base tyre was evaluated through the ratio of critical pavement responses between wide-base tyre and dual-tyre assembly. The analysis results suggest that the prediction of long-term pavement performance under the impact of wide-base tyre needs consider the evolution of pavement surface condition and different failure mechanisms. The study findings emphasise the importance of considering vehicle-tyre–pavement interaction in analysing dynamic pavement responses.

Experiment and Simulation Research on the Fatigue Wear of Aircraft Tire Tread Rubber

The road surface and the tread pattern structures directly affect the wear performance of aircraft tire, especially for lateral sliding conditions. In this paper, wear tests of tread block with different draft angles and root radiuses, different interfaces, and different slip angles were carried out, and combined with the simulation, the effects of tread groove structure and slip angle on the wear mechanism were analyzed. Results indicated that the influences of draft angle were greater than the root radius; the wear geometry of the tread block decreased when the draft angle increased in the range of 0° to 15°, but for the root radius, the wear geometry of each sample was similar to a strip shape. A considerable material loss occurred at the front edge when the slip angle increased, and the slip angle was larger in the range of 0° to 45°. Combined with the simulation and wear test, fatigue wear and abrasive wear of the slide surface are dominant factors when considering the effects of tread groove structure and slip angle, and both front edges of the tread blocks roll up repeatedly; the coefficient decreases with the increase in load when the cement concrete pavement interface is dry, but for a wet interface, the coefficient decreases softly.

Shear Fatigue Performance of Epoxy Resin Waterproof Adhesive Layer on Steel Bridge Deck Pavement

In this study, the effects of temperature, shear stress, and coating quantity of waterproof adhesive layer on the shear fatigue performance of a steel bridge deck pavement were investigated. Direct shear fatigue tests of a pavement comprising an epoxy resin waterproof adhesive layer with stone matrix asphalt were conducted at different temperatures, stress levels, and coating quantities. The results show that temperature and stress have significant effects on the shear fatigue life. With increasing temperature and stress, the shear fatigue life of the waterproof adhesive layer decreased gradually. Therefore, for steel bridge deck pavements under high temperatures and heavy loads, the use of asphalt waterproof adhesive layers or pavement layers should be evaluated carefully while limiting the traffic of heavily loaded vehicles. Shear failure occurs at the waterproof adhesive layer–pavement interface and not at the steel–waterproof adhesive layer interface. The shear strength of the epoxy resin waterproof adhesive layer is mainly provided by the bond strength between the waterproof adhesive and pavement mixture as well as the interlocking force between the cured epoxy resin and the bottom interface of uneven pavement mixture. The shear strength increases with the coating quantity of the waterproof adhesive layer; however, after reaching the maximum value, the shear strength becomes stable. In contrast, the interlaminar shear fatigue life increases continuously with the coating quantity of the waterproof adhesive layer. Appropriately increasing the coating quantity is beneficial for improving the resistance of the waterproof adhesive layer to interlaminar shear fatigue failure.

Effects of Sudden Temperature Drop on Stress at Rapidly Repaired Bonding Interface of Pavement

The numerical simulations were employed to establish an edge-corner repair model with magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) concrete as the repair material and ordinary Portland cement concrete as the old pavement. After the simulation of repair construction by using MPC concrete with different coarse aggregates, the effect of sudden temperature drop during the stable stage of hydration reaction on the stress distribution at each bonding interface was analyzed. The numerical calculations indicate that the sudden temperature drop led to temperature-induced stress on the bonding interfaces. The stress distribution at each bonding interface was obtained and the maximum principal stress at each bonding interface was at the intersection angle of three bonding interfaces. The relationship between the temperature and stress at each bonding interface was found when different coarse aggregates were used to prepare the repairing material. Also, the effect of different coarse aggregates on the bonding interface of the repairing material was obtained when basalt was the coarse aggregate of old concrete. The stability of bonding surface from best to worst was as follows: basalt > limestone > granite > conglomerate > sandstone > quartzite.

Analysis of Contact Stresses and Rolling Resistance of Truck-Bus Tyres under Different Working Conditions

In this work, to analyse the changing characteristics of contact stresses in the tyre–pavement interface and the functional relationship between rolling resistance and the working conditions of truck-bus tyres, a three-dimensional tyre–pavement model is established and used to predict the distribution of contact stresses and rolling resistance under different working conditions of the tyre, comprising various tyre loads, inflation pressures, and velocities. Results show that the magnitude relationship between transverse and longitudinal contact stresses is related to rolling conditions, and overload and low tyre pressure are important contributors to the wear of the tyre shoulder. In addition, the proposed exponential equation presents a method that can be used to forecast rolling resistance related to the working conditions of the truck-bus tyre, and a similar method can be used to predict the rolling resistances of other types of tyres.

Road Load Based Model for Vehicle Repair and Maintenance Cost Estimation

A techno-economic model is developed based on road-load simulation results expressed in relation to slip energy (SE) at the tire–pavement interface and the repair and maintenance (R&M) cost obtained from published sources and data from state agencies. Tire SE allows for the consideration of aggressive acceleration and deceleration, high torque conditions (for instance, driving an upslope grade), and roadway curvature. Tire SE data used in this effort were generated using physics-based simulation models of different vehicle types for arrays of road conditions (e.g., grades, curvatures) and driving cycles (i.e., vehicle speed profiles). R&M costs were estimated for various vehicle categories and accumulated vehicle mileage. The approach is based on relating the probability density functions (PDFs) of SE and R&M costs. Asymptotic series expansion for an incomplete gamma function was used to approximate the gamma functions and to determine the gamma ratio function that is used as the coefficient to SE to estimate R&M costs. The average R&M cost per mile results from the model compared with the arithmetic mean R&M cost data from fleet operators and published data. The model can serve as a method for predicting R&M cost as a function of road load to vehicle fleet.

Experimental study of the performance of a stress-absorbing waterproof layer for use in asphalt pavements on bridge decks

The presence of negative bending moments at the top of a continuous beam bridge can facilitate the sawing of false seams. The concrete bridge deck and its asphalt pavement will therefore develop transverse fatigue cracks under long-term cyclic traffic loads. This paper aims at preventing reflective cracks from forming in such asphalt pavements. The structure and materials used in crack prevention based on a composite stress-absorbing layer (CSAL) consisting of a geotextile and an asphalt gravel seal coat were investigated. The properties of polypropylene (PP) geotextiles were evaluated by means of differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, thermal shock tests, etc. Adhesion, shear, and tensile tests were used to study the influences of factors such as the type, amount of asphalt materials, and construction temperature on the bonding performance of the pavement interface. Texas overlay tests were also carried out to explore the anti-reflective cracking and anti-fatigue performance of different pavement structures including an asphalt rubber stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (ARSAMI) and a CSAL. The results show that the PP geotextile has a melting point of about 166 ℃, a glass-transition temperature in the range of –20 to –10 ℃, and a thermal decomposition temperature of about 400 ℃. In addition, it retains good strength and deformability when subjected to thermal shock at 180 ℃, and it has high thermal stability. The modified asphalt has the highest adhesion strength to concrete slabs, followed by ordinary asphalt and then emulsified asphalt. The temperature state of the bonding layer is not sensitive to the bond strength of the bridge deck paving structure. The asphalt mixture waterproofs the surface after paving. The adhesive stress-absorbing layer imparts a secondary heating effect, thereby ensuring interface adhesion. Using a pavement structure with a CSAL can enhance resistance to reflective cracking at a low temperature by more than 5 times compared to the case not taking preventative measures. Its resistance to reflective cracking under a deformation amplitude of 2 mm at the room temperature (20 ℃) is also slightly better than that of the ARSAMI. Hence, CSALs have promising prospects for use in crack prevention.

Influence of Ageing on Flexible Pavement Interface Bond under Repeated Shear Stresses

The durability of interface bond was not sufficiently taken into consideration, and the research work in this field is scares and scattered. The interface bond usually practices dynamic shear stresses throughout its service life while ageing due to volatilization provide stiffness at the interface. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to assess the durability of the interface bond in terms of resistance to ageing under repeated shear stresses. Two types of tack coat (Rapid Curing cutback RC-70 and Cationic Medium setting emulsion CMS) and three application rates have been implemented in the preparation of two layers slab samples (base overlaid by binder, and binder overlaid by wearing) courses using roller compactor. Asphalt concrete core specimens were obtained from the roller compacted slab samples and subjected to long term ageing, then the specimens were subjected to 1200 repeated shear stress cycles. The accumulation of permanent deformation was monitored. Afterwards, the specimens were tested for interface shear strength at 20 °C. Control specimens were also tested for comparison. It was concluded that ageing reduces the total microstrain for RC-70 tack coat by (43.6, 25.6, and 29.5) % and (50, 51.3, and 30.2) % for (binder-base) and (wearing-binder) interfaces for the application rate of (0.15, 0.33, 0.5) l/m2 respectively. However, ageing reduces the total microstrain for CMS tack coat by (37, 35.5, and 40.3) % and (45.2 , 49, and 46.8) % for (binder-base) and (wearing-binder) interfaces for the application rate of (0.1, 0.23, 0.35) l/m2 respectively. Ageing increases the interface bond shear strength by a range of (8-27)% for various interfaces, tack coat type and application rates.

Effect of Rumble Strip Profiles on Noise Levels

AbstractIn this study, the effect of different shoulder rumble strip profiles, including cylindrical, sinusoidal, and raised audible rumble strips, on the tire–pavement interface noise, internal no...

Theoretical Analysis on the Effect of Surface Horizontal Traction on Top-Down Cracking of Flexible Pavement

Fatigue cracking of flexible pavement is one of the most important elements that should be considered due to the damage occurs in asphalt layer under the effect of wheel load repetitions. This research demonstrated theoretical study on top-down fatigue crackingusing the finite element method. A three- dimensional finite elastic structural element is used to modal pavement using (ABAQUS ver. 6.12.1) program. The results obtained from this studydemonstrated that maximum value of tensile strain developed at the surface of asphalt layer for flexible pavement due to the horizontal traction generated from wheel load application at contact area. Also, the horizontal tensile strain ( ) at surface of asphalt layer is increasing rapidly with load repetitions with values greater than that generated at bottom by (94%) at failure. This prescribed the basic or inherent features of top crack initiation and down propagates within asphalt layer in flexible pavement. The top horizontal tensile strains obtained from the finite element model is higher than the empirical relations by (20%); since the finite element analysis of flexible pavement considered the surface horizontal tensile strains due to contact traction force at tire pavement interface. Finally, according to the results of this study the horizontal tensile strains at the top of asphalt surface significantly increase the damage intensity of fatigue failure for flexible pavement.