Viscoroute 2.0: a tool for the simulation of moving load effects on asphalt pavement

TL;DR

ViscoRoute 2.0 is a simulation tool that models the effects of moving loads on asphalt pavements, emphasizing the importance of viscoelastic behavior for accurate damage prediction.

Contribution

The paper introduces ViscoRoute 2.0, a new software that incorporates viscoelastic modeling of asphalt layers to better predict pavement response under moving loads.

Findings

ViscoRoute results align with existing literature.

Viscoelastic effects are crucial for accurate pavement damage prediction.

Thick asphalt pavements show significant asymmetric strain responses.

Abstract

As shown by strains measured on full scale experimental aircraft structures, traffic of slow-moving multiple loads leads to asymmetric transverse strains that can be higher than longitudinal strains at the bottom of asphalt pavement layers. To analyze this effect, a model and a software called ViscoRoute have been developed. In these tools, the structure is represented by a multilayered half-space, the thermo-viscoelastic behaviour of asphalt layers is accounted by the Huet-Sayegh rheological law and loads are assumed to move at constant speed. First, the paper presents a comparison of results obtained with ViscoRoute to results stemming from the specialized literature. For thick asphalt pavement and several configurations of moving loads, other ViscoRoute simulations confirm that it is necessary to incorporate viscoelastic effects in the modelling to well predict the pavement behaviour and to anticipate possible damages in the structure.