Numerical Application of Shakedown Theory to Pavements with Anisotropic Layer Properties

Abstract

A general numerical method for shakedown of pavements with anisotropic soil layers can be a useful development. The proposed method can be used to calculate rigorous bound solutions for soils whose cohesion varies with direction. To achieve this objective, the conventional isotropic Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion was generalized to include the effect of anisotropy, which is caused by the variation of cohesion with direction. The numerical formulation of the lower bound theorem using the modified anisotropic yield criterion was then developed. It was found that by using a suitable linear approximation of the yield surface, the application of the bound theorem led to a linear programming problem. The proposed numerical method was applied in the analysis of full-depth asphalt concrete pavements overlying clay subgrade. The analyses were conducted for different asphalt concrete temperatures and nonlinear stress-dependent subgrade properties. Results were compared for isotropic and anisotropic shear-strength parameters.