{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/50399"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/50399","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Discrete Element Method (DEM) Contact Models Applied to Pavement Simulation","abstract":"Pavement is usually composed of aggregate, asphalt binder, and air voids; rigid pavement is built with hydraulic cement concrete; reinforced pavement contains steel. With these wide ranges of materials, different mechanical behaviors need to be defined in the pavement simulation. But so far, there is no research providing a comprehensive introduction and comparison between various contact models. This paper will give a detail exploration on the contact models that can be potentially used in DEM pavement simulation; in the analysis, it includes both a theoretical part, simulation results and computational time cost, which can reveal the fundamental mechanical behaviors for the models, and that can be a reference for researchers to choose a proper contact model. A new contact model—the power law viscoelastic contact model is implemented into software PFC 3D and is numerically verified. Unlike existing linear viscoelastic contact models, the approach presented in this thesis provides a detailed exploration of the contact model for thin film power-law creeping materials based on C.Y Chueng's work. This model is aimed at simulating the thin film asphalt layer between two aggregates, which is a common structure in asphalt mixtures. Experiments with specimens containing a thin film asphalt between two aggregates are employed to validate the new contact model.","abstract_html":"Pavement is usually composed of aggregate, asphalt binder, and air voids; rigid pavement is built with hydraulic cement concrete; reinforced pavement contains steel. With these wide ranges of materials, different mechanical behaviors need to be defined in the pavement simulation. But so far, there is no research providing a comprehensive introduction and comparison between various contact models. This paper will give a detail exploration on the contact models that can be potentially used in DEM pavement simulation; in the analysis, it includes both a theoretical part, simulation results and computational time cost, which can reveal the fundamental mechanical behaviors for the models, and that can be a reference for researchers to choose a proper contact model. A new contact model—the power law viscoelastic contact model is implemented into software PFC 3D and is numerically verified. Unlike existing linear viscoelastic contact models, the approach presented in this thesis provides a detailed exploration of the contact model for thin film power-law creeping materials based on C.Y Chueng's work. This model is aimed at simulating the thin film asphalt layer between two aggregates, which is a common structure in asphalt mixtures. Experiments with specimens containing a thin film asphalt between two aggregates are employed to validate the new contact model.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Peng, Bo"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Civil Engineering","degree_department":"Civil and Environmental Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Wang, Linbing"],"committee_members":["Abbas, Montasir M.","Druta, Cristian"],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-08-20","date_published":"2014-08-20","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:15Z","subjects":["Discrete element method","contact models","pavement simulation","power-low viscoelasticity"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:3453"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:3453","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50399","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Wang, Linbing"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Abbas, Montasir M.","Druta, Cristian"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Peng, Bo"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-08-21T08:00:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-08-21T08:00:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2014-08-20"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Discrete element method","contact models","pavement simulation","power-low viscoelasticity"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:3453"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50399"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Pavement is usually composed of aggregate, asphalt binder, and air voids; rigid pavement is built with hydraulic cement concrete; reinforced pavement contains steel. With these wide ranges of materials, different mechanical behaviors need to be defined in the pavement simulation. But so far, there is no research providing a comprehensive introduction and comparison between various contact models. This paper will give a detail exploration on the contact models that can be potentially used in DEM pavement simulation; in the analysis, it includes both a theoretical part, simulation results and computational time cost, which can reveal the fundamental mechanical behaviors for the models, and that can be a reference for researchers to choose a proper contact model. A new contact model—the power law viscoelastic contact model is implemented into software PFC 3D and is numerically verified. Unlike existing linear viscoelastic contact models, the approach presented in this thesis provides a detailed exploration of the contact model for thin film power-law creeping materials based on C.Y Chueng's work. This model is aimed at simulating the thin film asphalt layer between two aggregates, which is a common structure in asphalt mixtures. Experiments with specimens containing a thin film asphalt between two aggregates are employed to validate the new contact model."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Discrete Element Method (DEM) Contact Models Applied to Pavement Simulation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Wang, Linbing"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Abbas, Montasir M.","Druta, Cristian"],"dc:contributor.department":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Peng, Bo"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-08-21T08:00:23Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-08-21T08:00:23Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2014-08-20"],"dc:description.abstract":["Pavement is usually composed of aggregate, asphalt binder, and air voids; rigid pavement is built with hydraulic cement concrete; reinforced pavement contains steel. 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