Investigation on Hydroplaning Behaviors of a Patterned Tire on a Steel Bridge Deck Pavement

Abstract

The hydroplaning propensity on the steel bridge deck pavement (SBDP) is higher than ordinary road pavements. In this study, the objective is to develop a hydroplaning model to evaluate the hydroplaning behaviors for SBDPs. To achieve this goal, a finite element (FE) model of a 3D-patterned radial tire model was developed at first, and the grounding characteristics of tire on the SBDP were calculated as an initial condition for the follow-up hydroplaning analysis. The X-ray CT scanning device and Ostu thresholding method were used for image processing of pavement surface topography, and the 3D FE model of SBDP was established by the reverse stereological theory and voxel modeling technique, which can accurately reconstruct the pavement morphology. A fluid model was established to simulate the dynamic characteristics of water film between the tire and SBDP. On this basis, the tire–fluid–pavement interaction model was developed based on the CEL (Couple Eulerian–Lagrangian) algorithm, and it was verified by the hydroplaning empirical equations. Finally, the hydroplaning behaviors on the SBDP were studied. The findings from this study can provide a tool for hydroplaning evaluation on SBDPs, and will be helpful to improve the driving safety of SBDP in rainy days.