Development of a Mechanistic Approach to Quantify Pavement Damage Using Axle Load Spectra from South Texas Overload Corridors
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Authors
Morovatdar, Ali
Ashtiani, Reza S.
Licon Jr., Carlos
Tirado, Cesar
Issue Date
2019-12
Type
Other
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Traditionally the damages imparted by heavy vehicles on transportation infrastructures are quantified using the Axle Load Equivalency Factors (ALEFs). Due to the nature of assumptions in the development of such equivalent load factors, the observed damages in the field are vastly different from numerical predictions using the traditional Asphalt Institute ALEF values. This was the motivation to develop a mechanistic approach to properly quantify the damage factors associated with the loading characteristics, environmental conditions, and pavement profile for each specific site in the studied network. To achieve this objective, the authors installed portable Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) devices in South Texas overload corridors to develop an axle load spectra database. Later, the research team deployed Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) to ten representative sites for structural evaluation of pavement sections. Subsequently, the back-calculated layer moduli and layer configurations from the field tests, and the loading characteristics from the portable WIM devices were incorporated in a 3D finite element model for response calculations of the pavements subjected to taxing stress paths imparted by overweight truck traffic in the network. The authors proposed three different approaches for the determination of the modified damage factors in this study. The proposed mechanistic approach for the calculation of the site-specific axle load factors resulted in the significantly higher prediction of the damage factors in Farm to Market (FM) roads subjected to overweight trucks.
Description
GAP 2019 Proceedings | www.GAP2019.com | 4 – 7 November 2017 | Colorado Springs, CO
Citation
Morovatdar, Ali & Ashtiani, Reza & Licon, Carlos & Tirado, Cesar. (2019). Development of a Mechanistic Approach to Quantify Pavement Damage Using Axle Load Spectra from South Texas Overload Corridors.
Publisher
Geo-Structural Aspects of Pavement