The Impact of Dynamic Effects on the Results of Non-Destructive Falling Weight Deflectometer Testing

Abstract

The article investigates the impact of applying a dynamic computational model that considers inertia forces on pavement deflections under rapidly changing loads over time. This study is particularly relevant to the modelling of falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing. Initially, the article examines the deflection values obtained from computational models under loads with varying frequencies. In this context, considering inertia forces was significant for load durations shorter than 0.04 s. In such cases, the results of static and dynamic analyses differed considerably. One application of FWD measurement results is determining the stiffness moduli of pavement layers using backcalculation. The study explored the impact of incorporating inertia forces into the pavement model on the estimated values of stiffness moduli obtained via backcalculation. The results revealed differences of several percent between the stiffness moduli calculated using dynamic and static numerical models. Subsequently, the key pavement deformations and fatigue life were determined using the obtained moduli. Again, significantly different results were observed between dynamic and static cases. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that dynamic effects should not be ignored when using FWD testing for backcalculation. Additionally, the article addresses the sensitivity of backcalculation results, which is crucial for the accurate interpretation of the obtained data.