3-D Modeling And Simulation Of Pipe Culverts And Its Pressing Optimization Under The Effect Of Road Roller

With the rapid development of highway construction, a considerable number of pipe culverts have been used in our country due to complex landform. However, there has been great loss of national economy as cracks of the pipe culverts occurred occasionally, which may result in the decline of the road surface. By analyzing various locations of cracks on pipe culverts, it can be concluded: In the procedure of filling construction the impropriety press has caused the initial and smaller cracks on the pipe culverts in different burying depth, which can not be found easily by our eyes. While the highway has been completed, under the repeat pressure of the camions, the cracks of the pipe culverts have become larger and larger, which finally lead to the failure of the culverts. Therefore, controlling the pressure of the road roller to culverts in different buried depth is the key to optimal construction.At the same pressure with the road roller, the pressing effect is better when the culvert is buried in shallow soil than in deep soil,but the cracks will be more easy to occur on the surface of the tube. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a best buried depth of pipe culvert. Moreover, a deep research has also been made to find an optimal press value with road roller to every depth of pipe culvert.Based on finite element method and simulation technology, 3-D modeling and simulation of pipe culverts under the effect of road roller has been performed in this paper. This paper has analyzed the mechanics response of the culvert in various depths under different pressure of the road roller and the effect of other parameters to the stress conditions. Also, the paper has gained empirical formulas and its applications, which could calculate the best buried depth and the best linear pressing force to solve culvert crack problems by roller compaction.The results of this study has been compared with the results of traditional methods, design criterion and the laboratory test results, which verified the effectiveness of this paper. So the conclusion of this study could be a guide to the process of road construction.