Effect of roughness-induced dynamic wheel loading on flexible pavements

The deterioration of the US transportation highway network and the onset of new technologies in the freight industry are expected to cause changes in the axle load magnitude and distribution, which would further exacerbate their effects. In this study, a decoupled vehicle–tire–pavement interaction model was used to establish a mechanistic framework to predict critical pavement responses. The response to roughness-induced dynamic wheel load amplification and non-free rolling condition contact stresses were considered, which usually overlooked. State-of-the-art numerical models were used to account for pavement unevenness, vehicle dynamics, three-dimensional and non-uniform contact stresses, and the complex pavement material characteristics. The performed numerical simulations provided a means to analytically quantify the variation of vertical and in-plane contact stress distribution. That allowed the consideration of full braking and acceleration scenarios. Hence, changes in strain field distribution and peak values for typical pavement structures under various axle configurations and axle loads were determined. Critical pavement responses, longitudinal and transverse tensile strains at the bottom of the asphalt concrete layer and shear strain in the asphalt concrete layer, were found to be highly depended on the in-plane components of the contact stress distribution. Overlooking load amplification due to road roughness and impact of rolling conditions would results in unpredicting pavement distresses, such as bottom-up fatigue cracking, near-surface cracking, and rutting.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Cardenas Huaman, Johann Jhanpiere

Contributors dc:contributor

• Al-Qadi, Imad L

• Dynamic Wheel Loading
• Numerical Analysis
• Flexible Pavements
• Road Roughness
• Pavement Modeling
• Pavement Mechanics
• Rolling Conditions

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Johann Cardenas Huaman

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120594

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F120594