Finite-Element Analyses of Flexible Pavements

Abstract

This study illustrates the usefulness of the finite-element method in the analysis of three-layer pavement systems subjected to different types of loading. The method is capable of simulating the observed responses of pavements subjected to axle loads with different tire pressures, axle loads with different configurations, and axle loads traveling at different speeds. A variety of material constitutive models such as linear elastic, nonlinear elastic, and viscoelastic are employed in the analyses to describe the behavior of the pavement materials. Finite-element modeling of pavements, if validated, can be extremely useful, because it can be used directly to estimate primary response parameters without resorting to potentially costly field experiments. If accurate correlations between the calculated and the measured primary response parameters can be obtained, then the analytical model can be used to calculate primary response load equivalency factors, utilizing deflection-based or strain-based equivalency factor methods.