Analysis of Dynamic Load Characteristics of Accelerated Pavement Testing Equipment Based on Virtual Prototype Model

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the actual dynamic load characteristics of a full-scale Accelerated Pavement Test (APT) device called Natural Environment-Automatically Loaded Track (NE-ALT) during its operation. The NEALT uses hydraulic and support reaction forces to apply axle loads, which are somewhat different from real trucks. Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of the loading parameters of the device, it is necessary to analyze the dynamic load characteristics of the device during operation. In this paper, a virtual prototype model of the device was established, and the important parameters, including vehicle speed and axle load, were set. The dynamic axle load, dynamic load coefficient, and influential factors of the NE-ALT were analyzed using the model at different speeds, hydraulic pressures, and road roughness. The results have shown that the dynamic axle load accuracy was most affected by speed, followed by road roughness, and then hydraulic cylinder pressure. Compared with the real truck, its dynamic load stability was better than the real truck due to the restriction of the guide rail in the acceleration loading system and the method of hydraulic loading, and the larger the load, the more stable the load, which was different from the real truck. Therefore, in the design of accelerated pavement loading experiments, the dynamic axle load characteristics of equipment need to be considered. The results of this study can provide guidance for the further improvement and application of the NE-ALT.