TY - JOUR
T1 - Homogeneous versus Heterogeneous Response of a Flexible Pavement Structure
T2 - Strain and Domain Analyses
AU - Castillo, Daniel
AU - Gamez, Angeli
AU - Al-Qadi, Imad
N1 - Funding Information:
This study used the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), which is supported by National Science Foundation grant number ACI-1548562 (Towns et al. 2014). The simulations were run using the dedicated XSEDE cluster COMET.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
PY - 2019/9/1
Y1 - 2019/9/1
N2 - This paper presents a computational model of a flexible pavement structure in finite elements (FE). The model is used to evaluate the response of a control (homogeneous) pavement structure, in contrast with equivalent random (heterogeneous) structures. One pavement structure is used as a control case, while 50 pavement structures with heterogeneous asphalt concrete (AC) layers are used in the random case. The AC layers in the random case exhibit spatially-varying mechanical properties; the instantaneous relaxation modulus (Eo) varies among the finite elements. AC variability propagated through the pavement layers. The uncertainty of critical responses was characterized, including longitudinal, transverse, shear, and vertical strains. The domain analysis (DA) method is applied to better understand the global (i.e., volumetric) response of the heterogeneous AC layers. Computational estimates of variability are presented, as predicted through the DA technique. Overall, for a fixed Eo variability, response variabilities ranked as follows: (1) near-surface shear strain in the AC layer presented the most variation relative to its magnitude, followed by (2) transverse and longitudinal strains (at the bottom of AC layer), and (3) vertical strains on top of base and subgrade. The results provide ranges of uncertainty for the new DA tool for the first time.
AB - This paper presents a computational model of a flexible pavement structure in finite elements (FE). The model is used to evaluate the response of a control (homogeneous) pavement structure, in contrast with equivalent random (heterogeneous) structures. One pavement structure is used as a control case, while 50 pavement structures with heterogeneous asphalt concrete (AC) layers are used in the random case. The AC layers in the random case exhibit spatially-varying mechanical properties; the instantaneous relaxation modulus (Eo) varies among the finite elements. AC variability propagated through the pavement layers. The uncertainty of critical responses was characterized, including longitudinal, transverse, shear, and vertical strains. The domain analysis (DA) method is applied to better understand the global (i.e., volumetric) response of the heterogeneous AC layers. Computational estimates of variability are presented, as predicted through the DA technique. Overall, for a fixed Eo variability, response variabilities ranked as follows: (1) near-surface shear strain in the AC layer presented the most variation relative to its magnitude, followed by (2) transverse and longitudinal strains (at the bottom of AC layer), and (3) vertical strains on top of base and subgrade. The results provide ranges of uncertainty for the new DA tool for the first time.
KW - Asphalt
KW - Domain analysis
KW - Finite elements
KW - Flexible pavement
KW - Heterogeneity
KW - Random fields
KW - Structures
KW - Three-dimensional model
KW - Variability
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U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001639
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001639
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85068014369
SN - 0733-9399
VL - 145
JO - Journal of Engineering Mechanics
JF - Journal of Engineering Mechanics
IS - 9
M1 - 04019068
ER -