Numerical Simulation and Experimental Measurements of Dynamic Responses of Asphalt Pavement in Dry and Saturated Conditions under Full-Scale Accelerated Loading

Abstract

Asphalt pavement presents diverse dynamic responses to vehicle loading in dry and saturated conditions, which can be systematically explored by numerical simulation. Building a numerical model based on the actual conditions of asphalt pavement is necessary, and relevant field tests should be subsequently conducted to monitor dynamic responses to calibrate and validate the numerical model. On the basis of strictly controlling the paths of vehicle wheels during field tests, this study numerically analyzed the dynamic responses of asphalt pavement in dry and saturated conditions under full-scale accelerated loading. The trends of the modeling results were consistent with those of field measurements. The increase in vehicle load significantly increased the magnitudes of stress, strain, and pore water pressure, while vehicle speed showed an obvious impact on pore water pressure. The dynamic responses decreased with pavement depths. Water made the dynamic responses more complex, and pore water pressure significantly decreased with depth within the upper layer of saturated asphalt pavement. Transverse distributions of indicators presented obvious compressive states in the regions in direct contact with vehicle wheels, while tensile states were found in the range of the middle vehicle axle. The numerical results provided a basis for field measurements in future studies, especially for the exploration of factors of temperature and layer depth.