| 1. |
- Saliko, Denis
(författare)
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Validation of heavy vehicle loading responses and temperature predictions in flexible pavements using field data
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- It is well established that both traffic-related loading and environmental conditions influence the structural behaviour of pavements. Pavement design methods aim to consider the effect of traffic loading and environmental variables on pavement structure, foresee their changes during the lifetime of the pavement and predict the resulting distresses and pavement life. Newer models are required to further advance the development of pavement design methods. Validations using reliable and representative data are required prior to incorporating these models in pavement design methods.The impact of environmental factors such as temperature, moisture content and freeze-thaw cycles on pavement behaviour have been examined in this doctoral thesis. Furthermore, the impact of increased loading by new long heavy vehicles on low-volume roads subjected to large variations of the environmental conditions has been investigated. The findings presented in this thesis have been based on field data collected on roads that have been and currently are in day-to-day operation. The collected data on mechanical response, temperature, moisture and frost was used to validate models on mechanical behaviour and thermal behaviour, as well as the effect of their interaction in pavement structures. The models developed and validated in this study are aimed to be integrated into a new mechanistic-empirical pavement design framework that is currently under development in Sweden. The work done for this thesis is presented hereby in the form of 5 papers and a short summary part. This thesis is a continuation of a licentiate thesis previously published at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Part of the material published in the licentiate thesis has been included in this doctoral thesis.In paper 1, air temperature data recorded over a span of 10 years from 44 meteorological stations and temperature data from built-in sensors in 49 pavement structures located in different locations throughout Sweden were analysed. The data was used to statistically correlate the freezing index, calculated using the mean daily air temperature and the frost penetration depth in the cross-section of the pavement. Comparisons were made for the results obtained for various climatic zones in the country. The output of the paper is a country-specific empirical chart obtained through exponential interpolation and nonlinear prediction limits that indicates a range of expected frost penetration depth based on historical air temperature data. Paper 2 presents a study in which the structural response of a test section was evaluated using built-in sensors. The instrumentation consisted of asphalt strain gauges (ASG) recording the tensile strain in the bottom of the asphalt layer, strain measuring units (εMU) recording the vertical strain in the granular layers, and soil pressure cells (SPC) recording the vertical stresses in the granular layers. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) measurements were performed on the structure to backcalculate the stiffness of the layers from the measured surface deflections. The aim of the study was to evaluate the structural response of the structure under loading by three long heavy vehicles (LHV) weighing ~64 tonnes, ~68 tonnes, and ~74 tonnes and compare the resulting estimated accumulated damage from each vehicle. The main finding from the paper was that the damage caused to pavements by long heavy vehicles was slightly larger than the damage caused by shorter vehicles with fewer axles but higher axial loading and tyre pressure.Paper 3 focuses on the effect of environmental factors and their variation on the structural behaviour of a thin pavement structure. Loading by long heavy trucks was applied to a test section at four different measurement campaigns performed at different seasons over one year. The variation of temperature and moisture in the structure was monitored continuously for the entire duration for which the study was performed. Thermocouples embedded in the asphalt layer and a frost rod placed in the granular layers were used to monitor the temperature variation in the structure. The moisture variation was monitored using time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes. The correlation of the changes in temperature and moisture to the changes in mechanical stiffness of the layers was investigated. The instrumentation used to monitor the mechanical response, temperature variation, and moisture variation in the structure was found to be reliable for collecting data over the entire duration of the study. The main finding of the study is that it is possible to model the mechanical behaviour of thin pavement structures using multilayer elastic theory (MLET) calculations modelling, using linear-elastic material models if the stiffness of the asphalt layer is adjusted based on temperature and the stiffness of the granular layers is adjusted based on moisture levels.In Paper 4, the same response testing procedure as in Paper 3 was performed for a second pavement structure with a thicker asphalt layer. Data from response testing results for 2 pavement structures on 4 different dates, with a focus on the spring thaw period, were considered in the paper. Three different strategies for material modelling were used to investigate the mechanical response of the pavement structures. The layers were initially modelled using linear material parameters and the response results were compared both to calculations in which a viscoelastic model was used for the asphalt layer and to calculations in which a nonlinear K-Theta model was used for the granular layers. Comparisons were made between the calculated response using each modelling strategy and the measured response values. It was found that the viscoelastic and nonlinear models provided only marginal improvements in the range of 1%-4% in predicting the mechanical response of the structures. Based on the results, it was concluded that the linear elastic model was sufficiently accurate in capturing the mechanical behaviour of both pavement structures, including at the critical locations.Paper 5 presents the development and validation of a one-dimensional finite control volume (FCV) model capable of predicting temperature in pavements. The model is intended to be implemented into a new mechanistic-empirical pavement design framework currently under development in Sweden. The model uses easily obtainable meteorological data for air temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed for the three main modes of heat transfer, namely conduction, convection and radiation. To validate the model and estimate its accuracy, comparisons were made between the measured temperature and the calculated temperature values, using the FCV model. Comparisons were made for the pavement surface temperature, the temperature within the asphalt layer, and the temperature in the granular layers for 4 pavements located in different climatic zones in Sweden. In general, good agreement was found between the measured and calculated temperature values. Points for future improvements include better consideration of the surface properties, including the latent heat transfer in the calculations, and coupling the model to a moisture transfer model.
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| 2. |
- Ghafoori Roozbahany, Ehsan, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Modelling the flow of asphalt under simulated compaction using discrete element
- 2019
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Ingår i: Construction and Building Materials. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0950-0618 .- 1879-0526. ; 227
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The flow differences between the particles of asphalt mixtures compacted in the laboratory and in the field have been identified as one of the reasons for the discrepancies between laboratory and field results. In previous studies, the authors developed a simplified test method, the so-called compaction flow test (CFT), for roughly simulating the flow of particles in asphalt mixtures under compacting loads in laboratory. The CFT was used in different studies to examine its capability of revealing the differences between the flow behavior of different asphalt mixtures under various loading modes. The promising results encouraged further development of the CFT by investigating the possible impacts of simplifications and boundary conditions on the results of this test. For this reason, discrete element method (DEM) was utilized to investigate possible impacts of the mold size, geometry of the loading strip as well as the loading rate on the results of the CFT. The results of the simulation indicate that in case of wearing course layers with nominal maximum aggregate size of 11 mm, the length of the CFT mold can be increased from 150 mm to 200–250 mm for reducing flow disturbances from the mold walls. However, since the majority of the flow of asphalt mixture particles is expected to take place within the first 100–150 mm length of the mold, reasonable results can still be obtained even without changing the size of the CFT mold. Moreover, comparing results with different loading strip geometries and loading rates indicates that the current CFT setup still appears to provide consistent results.
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| 3. |
- Jelagin, Denis, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental and numerical modelling of shear bonding between asphalt layers
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal on Road Materials and Pavement Design. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1468-0629 .- 2164-7402. ; 24:S1, s. 176-191
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interlayers in asphalt pavements are potential structural damage initiators. In order to better understand the quantitative role of interlayer parameters, such as surface roughness, binder type, binder content and loading type on interlayer shear strength, this paper focuses on the effects of particle interlock and contact conditions on interlayer strength through experimental and numerical modelling. Experimentally, interlayer shear box strength tests on a model material consisting of stiff binder blended with steel balls are performed with and without normal force confinement. A Discrete Element method model of the test is developed using measurements of the model material for calibrating the contact law and for validating the model. It is shown that this model captures adequately the measured force-displacement response of the specimens. It is thus a feasible starting point for numerically and experimentally studying the role of binder and tack coat regarding interlayer shear strength of real asphalt layers.
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| 4. |
- Olsson, Erik, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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A numerical framework for modelling settlements of railway ballast layers
- 2024
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Ingår i: Transportation Geotechnics. - : Elsevier. - 2214-3912. ; 44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Permanent deformation in ballast layers is a major contributing factor to the railway track geometry deterioration. In spite of a considerable amount of research on understanding and predicting performance of ballast layers, accurately capturing their settlements remains a challenge. In order to contribute to solving this important issue, a new numerical method for predicting ballast settlements is presented in this paper. This method is based on the finite element (FE) method combined with a constitutive model that captures permanent deformation accumulation in unbound materials under cyclic loading. This allows predicting permanent deformations of large structures and at large number of load cycles in a computationally efficient manner.The developed constitutive model is validated based on triaxial test measurements over wide range of loading conditions. Stress state in ballast layers has been examined with a 3D FE model, for several embankment structures and traffic load magnitudes. The determined stress distributions and loading frequencies were used as an input of the constitutive model to evaluate permanent strains and settlements of ballast layer. The influence of embankment structural designs and traffic loading magnitudes on the ballast layers settlements is examined and the results obtained are compared with the existing empirical performance models.
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| 5. |
- Said, Safwat, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Prediction of rutting in asphalt concrete pavements : the PEDRO model
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Flexible pavement rutting due to permanent deformation accumulation in asphalt layers is one of the most common modes of road failures. In addition to high maintenance costs, rutting is a major concern for traffic safety, as the rut growth increases the risk for hydroplaning and difficulties in vehicle steering. In this context, accurate methodologies for pavement rutting performance prediction are crucial for decision support in pavement design and rehabilitation. More rational rutting performance models are needed to enable the implementation of new and more sustainable and environmentally friendly asphalt materials as well as to evaluate the impact of high capacity traffic (HCT) vehicle types on bituminous layers.The main goal of this work is to implement and disseminate an asphalt rutting performance prediction tool called PEDRO (PErmanent Deformation of asphalt concrete layers for ROads). It focuses solely on the permanent deformation of asphalt concrete materials in the pavement structure. The PEDRO tool is a viscoelastic model for the calculation of permanent vertical strain under moving wheel loads over a viscoelastic half-space. The analysis is performed for the entire rutting zone and the permanent deformation of each layer or sub-layer, depending on its location in the pavement structure, is then integrated over the whole asphalt concrete depth.
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| 6. |
- Das, Prabir, et al.
(författare)
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Importance of Thermal Contraction Coefficient in Low Temperature Cracking of Asphalt Concrete
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Fifty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA): Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A major distress mode in asphalt pavements is low temperature cracking, which results from the contraction and expansion of the asphalt pavement under extreme temperature changes. The potential for thermal cracking involves interplay between the environment, the road structure, and importantly the properties of the asphalt mixture. In the present study, the low temperature cracking performance of asphalt mixture has been investigated numerically and experimentally. A low temperature cracking model has been utilized, which was developed by integrating fracture energy threshold into an asphalt concrete thermal fracture model considering non-linear thermal contraction coefficients. Based on the asphalt concrete mixture viscoelastic properties, this enhanced model can predict thermally-induced stresses and fracture temperatures. It was observed that the thermal contraction coefficient in asphalt concrete is non-linear in the temperature range of interest for low temperature cracking. The implications of having non-linear thermal contraction coefficient were investigated numerically. From the analysis, it was found that this enhanced model can be utilized to evaluate the low temperature cracking performance of asphalt mixtures and rank them accordingly. Interestingly, non-linear thermal contraction coefficient gave much better prediction than the linear approach.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Fadil, Hassan, et al.
(författare)
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A New Viscoelastic Micromechanical Model for Bitumen-Filler Mastic
- 2020
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Ingår i: Construction and Building Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0950-0618 .- 1879-0526. ; 253
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new micromechanical model for predicting viscoelastic properties of mastic is proposed and validated with experiments. The developed model is based on the finite element method and allows predicting the viscoelastic properties of mastic by means of the fundamental mechanical and geometrical properties of its constituents. The influence of modelling parameters on the model’s accuracy is evaluated and optimal parameter combinations are identified. It is shown that the proposed model can capture the measured viscoelastic behaviour of mastics for the range of loading, temperature and material parameters examined. Accordingly, it may be a useful tool for optimizing mastics material design meeting the target viscoelastic properties.
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| 9. |
- Fadil, Hassan, et al.
(författare)
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A spherical indentation test for quasi-non-destructive characterisation of asphalt concrete
- 2024
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Ingår i: Materials and Structures. - : Springer. - 1359-5997 .- 1871-6873.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The indentation test is a promising technique for the viscoelastic characterisation of asphalt concrete (AC). Indentation measurements are primarily influenced by the material properties in the direct vicinity of the indenter-specimen contact point. Accordingly, it may become a useful alternative for the characterisation of thin asphalt layers as well as for a quasi-non-destructive AC characterisation in the field. In this study, the spherical indentation test is used to measure the linear viscoelastic properties of AC mixtures extracted from a road test section. The measured complex moduli are compared to those obtained by the shear box test and are found to exhibit a linear correlation. The measurements are further analysed using the Gaussian mixture model to assign each indentation test to either aggregate-dominated or mastic-dominated response. The measurements attributed to mastic-dominated response are found to be more sensitive to the temperature and AC’s binder properties as compared to the average measurements. Accordingly, the proposed test method may provide a promising tool to measure AC viscoelastic properties and monitor the changes in AC binder phase in a non-destructive manner. A finite element micromechanical model is used to identify a representative scale for the response measured in mastic-dominated tests as well as to quantify the effect of measured properties on the AC damage propensity.
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| 10. |
- Fadil, Hassan, et al.
(författare)
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Measurement of the viscoelastic properties of asphalt mortar and its components with indentation tests
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal on Road Materials and Pavement Design. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 1468-0629 .- 2164-7402.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reliable determination of material properties is a key component for modelling and performance prediction of asphalt pavements. This paper deals with the potential use of instrumented indentation tests for viscoelastic characterisation of asphalt mortar as a new alternative to existing techniques. The main focus lies on the potential of indentation tests for multi-scale measurement of the shear relaxation modulus. A three-dimensional finite element model of a rigid spherical indenter penetrating an asphalt mortar sample is developed and used to model indentation tests performed at different material scales. The asphalt mortar is modelled as an idealised fine aggregate composite with elastic spheres, suspended within a viscoelastic bitumen mastic matrix. Based on the obtained numerical results the scale-dependency of the shear relaxation modulus measured with the indentation test is investigated. It is shown that the measurement scale is effectively controlled by the size of the indenter-specimen contact area, while the effect of indentation depth is minimal. The minimum contact area size required for obtaining representative properties, measured at the mortar scale, is determined. The viscoelastic parameters obtained from the indentation model are compared to those obtained using a representative volume element (RVE) for the asphalt mortar. In this way, the paper provides a new impulse for linking the mortar and asphalt scales in the multiscale modelling of asphalt mixtures. Feasibility of the proposed testing technique is further evaluated experimentally. Viscoelastic indentation tests are performed on asphalt mastics and mortar at two different sizes of contact areas. Experimental results indicate that indentation tests allow reliable characterisation of mortars relaxation modulus on both macro-scale as well as on individual component level.
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