Non-linear micro-mechanical behavior of heterogeneous cement-stabilized macadam

Abstract

This study aims to examine the internal meso-mechanical behaviour of cement-stabilised macadams subjected to loading damage following water immersion. By constructing a numerical analysis model, the mechanism of water-immersion weakening of the cement-stabilised macadam material and the internal micro-mechanical behaviour of the specimen were analysed. The numerical simulation results were compared with laboratory test data. The peak stress error was 2.414%, whereas the maximum error in the strain corresponding to the peak stress of the specimens with different immersion durations was 3.05%. By comparing the direction distributions of the normal and tangential contact forces in each stage, it was found that the tangential forces at approximately 0º, 90º, 180º, and 270º were much smaller than those at other angles. In the peak stress stage, the normal contact angles between 45–135º and 225–285º were higher than those at other angles. For model M (mean factor) less than 20, the peak stress was significantly affected and increased as a function of M. When M was greater than 20, the peak stress fluctuated within a small range as a function of M. This study provides a new research method for the study of the structural mechanical effect of pavement structures based on cement-stabilised macadam materials damaged following water immersion.