Pavement Analysis and Design: Dr. Zia-ur-Rehman

Pavement Analysis and Design
Lecture-2
30-02-2018
Dr. Zia-ur-Rehman
Stresses and Strains in Flexible Pavements
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Since the mid 1960, pavement researchers have been refining
mechanistically based design methods.
While the mechanics of layered systems are well developed, there

remains much work to be done in the areas of material
characterization and failure criteria.
The horizontal strain is used to predict and control fatigue

cracking in the surface layer.
With respect to asphalt concrete pavements, the current failure

criteria used are the horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the
asphalt concrete layer and the vertical strain at the top of the
subgrade.
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There has been very little effort placed on the refinement of

the subgrade failure criteria.
The development of the current subgrade failure criteria,

which limits the amount of vertical strain on top of the
subgrade, is based primarily on limited data from the
AASHO Road Test.
Similarly the vertical strain at the top of the subgrade is

used to predict and control permanent deformation (rutting)
of the pavement structure caused by shear deformation in
the upper subgrade.
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Approaches
Layered elastic method
Two-dimensional finite element method
Three-dimensional finite element method
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Layered Elastic Approach
It is the most popular and easily understood procedure.
In this method, the system is divided into an arbitrary

number of horizontal layers.
The thickness of each individual layer and material

properties may vary from one layer to the next, but in any
one layer the material is assumed to be homogeneous and
linear elastic.
These shortcomings make it difficult to simulate realistic

scenarios.
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Layered Elastic Approach

Although the layered elastic method is more easily
implemented than finite element methods, it still has severe
limitations: materials must be homogenous and linearly
elastic within each layer, and the wheel loads applied on the
surface must be axisymmetric.
It is very hard to rationally accommodate material non-

linearity and incorporate spatially varying tyre contact
pressures, which can significantly affect the behaviour of the
pavement systems.
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2D Finite Element Analysis

Plane strain or axis-symmetric conditions are generally
assumed.
Compared to the layered elastic method, the practical

applications of this method are greater, as it can rigorously
handle material anisotropy, material nonlinearity, and a
variety of boundary conditions.
Unfortunately, 2D models can not accurately capture non-

uniform tyre contact pressure and multiple wheel loads.
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3D Finite Element Analysis
To overcome the limitations inherent in 2D modeling
approaches, 3D finite element models are becoming more
wide spread.
With 3D FE analysis, we can study the response of flexible

pavements under spatially varying tyre pavement contact
pressures.
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Stress and Strain in Flexible Pavement
Pavement structural analysis includes three main issues:
material characterization, theoretical model for structural
response and environmental.
Three aspects of the material behaviour are typically
considered for pavement analysis:
•The relationship between the stress and strain(linear or nonlinear).
•The time dependency of strain under a constant load (viscous or

non-viscous).
•The degree to which the material can recover strain after stress
removal (elastic or plastic).
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Stress and Strain in Flexible Pavement
Theoretical response models for the pavement are typically
based on a continuum mechanics approach.
The model can be a closed-formed analytical solution or a

numerical approach.
Various theoretical response models have been developed

with different levels of sophistication from analytical
solutions such as Boussinesq’s equations based on elasticity
to three-dimensional dynamic finite element models.
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Pavement Response
Flexible and rigid pavements respond to loads in

very different ways.
Consequently, different theoretical models have

been developed for flexible and rigid pavements.
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Pavement Response
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Homogeneous Mass
The simplest way to characterize the behaviour of a flexible
pavement under wheel loads is to consider it as a homogeneous
half-space.
A half-space has an infinitely large area and an infinite depth

with a top plane on which the loads are applied.
The original Boussinesq (1885) theory was based on a

concentrated load applied on an elastic half-space.
The stresses, strains, and deflections due to a concentrated load

can be integrated to obtain those due to a circular loaded area.
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Homogeneous Mass
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Homogeneous Mass
Before the development of layered theory by
Burmister (1943), much attention was paid to
Boussinesq solutions because they were the only ones
available.
The theory can be used to determine the stresses,

strains, and deflections in the subgrade if the
modulus ratio between the pavement and the
subgrade is close to unity, as exemplified by a thin
asphalt surface and a thin granular base.
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Single Layer Solutions
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Figure shows a homogeneous half-space subjected to a
circular load with a radius a and a uniform pressure q.
The half-space has an elastic modulus E and a Poisson

ratio .
A small cylindrical element with center at a distance z
below the surface and r from the axis of symmetry is
shown.
Because of axisymmetry, there are only three normal
stresses, σz, σr and σt, and one shear stress,
which is equal to . These stresses are functions
of q, r/a, and z/a. 23
Foster and Ahlvin (1954) presented charts for

determining vertical stress, radial stress, tangential
stress, shear stress, and vertical deflection ω, as
shown in Figures 2.2 through 2.6.
The load is applied over a circular area with a

radius a and intensity q.
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Single Layer Solutions-Vertical stress
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Single Layer Solutions-Radial stress
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Single Layer Solutions-Tangential stress
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Single Layer Solutions-Shear stress
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Single Layer Solutions-Vertical deflection
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Single Layer Solutions-Strains
After the stresses are obtained from the charts, the strains can
be obtained using the following equations:
If the contact area consists of two circles, the stresses and

strains can be computed by superposition.
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Single Layer Solutions-Numerical Problem
Figure shows a homogeneous half-space subjected to two
circular loads, each 10 in. in diameter and spaced at 20 in. on
centers. The pressure on the circular area is 50 psi. The half-
space has elastic modulus 10,000 psi and Poisson ratio 0.5.
Determine the vertical stress, strain, and deflection at point A,
which is located 10 in. below the center of one circle.
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Single Layer Solutions at Axis of Symmetry
When the load is applied over a single circular loaded area,
the most critical stress, strain and deflection occur under the
center of the circular area on the axis of symmetry, where
and are the principal stresses.
The load applied from tyre to pavement is similar to a flexible

plate with a radius a and a uniform pressure q. The stresses
beneath the center of the plate can be determined from
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When
When z =0
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Single Layer Solutions at Axis of Symmetry-Problem
For the loaded area shown, determine the stresses, strains,
and deflection at point A.
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Single Layer Solutions at Axis of Symmetry-Rigid Plate
So far all the analyses are based on the assumption that the
load is applied on a flexible plate, such as a rubber tyre.
If the load is applied on a rigid plate, such as that used in a

plate loading test, the deflection is the same at all points on the
plate, but the pressure distribution under the plate is not
uniform.
The differences between a flexible and a rigid plate are shown

in Figure.
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The pressure distribution under a rigid plate can be expressed

as (Ullidtz, 1987):
in which r is the distance from center to the point where

pressure is to be determined and q is the average pressure,
which is equal to the total load divided by the area. The
smallest pressure is at the center and equal to one-half of the
average pressure. The pressure at the edge of the plate is
infinity.
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By integrating the point load over the area, it can be shown

that the deflection of the rigid plate is:
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Surface deflection of the rigid plate is:
Surface deflection of the flexible plate is:
A comparison of the above equations indicates that the

surface deflection under a rigid plate is only 79% of that
under the center of a uniformly distributed load.
This is reasonable because the pressure under the rigid plate

is smaller near the center of the loaded area but greater near
the edge.
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Single Layer Solutions at Axis of Symmetry-Rigid Plate-Problem
A plate loading test using a plate of 12-in. diameter was
performed on the surface of the subgrade, as shown in Figure.
A total load of 8000 lb was applied to the plate and a
deflection of 0.1 in. was measured. Assuming that the
subgrade has Poisson ratio 0.4, determine the elastic modulus
of the subgrade.
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Pavement Analysis and Design

While the mechanics of layered systems are well developed, there

The horizontal strain is used to predict and control fatigue

With respect to asphalt concrete pavements, the current failure

There has been very little effort placed on the refinement of

The development of the current subgrade failure criteria,

Similarly the vertical strain at the top of the subgrade is

Layered elastic method

Two-dimensional finite element method

Three-dimensional finite element method

In this method, the system is divided into an arbitrary

The thickness of each individual layer and material

These shortcomings make it difficult to simulate realistic

Layered Elastic Approach

It is very hard to rationally accommodate material non-

2D Finite Element Analysis

Compared to the layered elastic method, the practical

Unfortunately, 2D models can not accurately capture non-

With 3D FE analysis, we can study the response of flexible

•The relationship between the stress and strain(linear or nonlinear).

•The time dependency of strain under a constant load (viscous or

The model can be a closed-formed analytical solution or a

Various theoretical response models have been developed

Flexible and rigid pavements respond to loads in

Consequently, different theoretical models have

A half-space has an infinitely large area and an infinite depth

The original Boussinesq (1885) theory was based on a

The stresses, strains, and deflections due to a concentrated load

The theory can be used to determine the stresses,

The half-space has an elastic modulus E and a Poisson

Foster and Ahlvin (1954) presented charts for

The load is applied over a circular area with a

If the contact area consists of two circles, the stresses and

The load applied from tyre to pavement is similar to a flexible

If the load is applied on a rigid plate, such as that used in a

The differences between a flexible and a rigid plate are shown

The pressure distribution under a rigid plate can be expressed

in which r is the distance from center to the point where

By integrating the point load over the area, it can be shown

Surface deflection of the rigid plate is:

Surface deflection of the flexible plate is:

A comparison of the above equations indicates that the

This is reasonable because the pressure under the rigid plate

Pavement Analysis and Design

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