Finite Element Analysis of Continuously Reinforced Bonded Concrete Overlay Pavements Using the Concrete Damaged Plasticity Model

Abstract

In this study, cracking patterns and widths were analytically investigated in a continuously reinforced bonded concrete overlay (CRBCO), as they developed due to temperature change and drying shrinkage, as the environmental load for the sustainable management of deteriorated concrete pavements. The parameters of the concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model used for the nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement were determined through comparison of the FEA results with the field crack survey results so as to be used in the nonlinear FEA of the CRBCO pavement. The total temperature change, which combines the actual temperature change with the temperature change converted from the drying shrinkage, considering stress relaxation, was adopted in the FEA as the environmental load applied to the CRBCO pavement. The locations and movements of the reflection and transverse cracks in CRBCO were investigated via FEA. The reflection cracks occurred in the overlay at all of the joints of the existing pavement. Only one secondary crack, with a width that was 5–6 times narrower than that of the reflection cracks, occurred between adjacent reflection cracks under various conditions. Thus, the crack width of the CRBCO was predominantly affected by joint movement in the existing pavement. In addition, the crack widths predicted by the CDP model were narrower than those predicted using the elastic model by approximately 10%. Therefore, crack movement in a CRBCO pavement can be reasonably predicted by the CDP model.