Structural Analysis And Performance Evaluation Of Heavy-Loaded Asphalt Pavement

Asphalt pavement is one of the primary structures for main roads in China. Along with the appearing and forming of the heavy-loaded traffic in recent years,the premature failure of asphalt pavements is becoming more and more widespread. Consequently, Over loading has become one of the key factors which influence the in-servive performance of pavements and shorten the natural life of pavements.Due to the variation in traffic, environment, axle configuration, subgrade condition, pavement structure, construction quality, and maintenance policy from agency to agency, from place to place, the deterioration of pavement may be caused by different factors. Therefore, the structural analysis and performance evaluation of heavy-loaded asphalt pavement have been conducted on two aspects about specific pavement conditions and theoretical analysis in this thesis.In this thesis, firstly, based on the investigation results of pavement status of highway pavement structures in the 2nd phase of Guangbei Section of National Highway 108 (Beijing to Kunming),the causes of pavement deteriorations were analysed, especially, the factor of additional structural responses influencing pavement distress, especially premature failure,was analysed, the measures of prevention and cure for pavement failure were put forward. Secondly, Numerical simulation analysis about heavy-loaded asphalt pavement was performed using elastic and elastic-plastic theories with commercial finite element analysis software-ANSYS.and the mechanical responses of pavement in two cyclic traffic loads were studied. Also, the influences on the asphalt pavement,such as the stress, the strain, the carrying-capacity and the fatigue-national life, by the factors about over-loadings, pavement styles and structural layer combinations, were analysed and discussed.At the same time,the changed characters of key responses of pavement which conducted by the loads, which preponderated over the allowable weight, were discussed too. Finally, the theoretical analysis results were compared to the actual characters and states of pavement by specific examples.The results of the thesis show that construction quality and environment condition be the exterior factors in the development of pavement deteriorations. Heavy-loaded traffic can be brought on increasing critical responses of pavement, accelerating the process of pavement deteriorations and making the deterioration degree deepper. And the structural layer combination can influence pavement performance, can restrict the in-servive performance of pavement and can determine it's natural life too. Both the above two factors(Namely, heavy-loaded traffic and structural layer combination) are the interior factors in the formation of pavement dilapidations. Major conclusions drawn from this study can be beneficial to the structural design, supervision, maintenance, and rehabilitation of pavements for roads. And offer some useful thoughtways, which are referenced and valuable for heavy-loaded asphalt pavement design in future.