Finite Element Investigation of the Deterioration of Doweled Rigid Pavements

TL;DR

This study uses nonlinear 3D finite element analysis to investigate how concrete deterioration around dowel bars in rigid pavements affects load transfer and pavement performance under repetitive loading.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed finite element model with concrete damaged plasticity to simulate concrete deterioration around dowels, validated against analytical solutions.

Findings

Concrete deterioration initiates at the joint face and propagates inward.

Dowel load transfer capacity decreases as surrounding concrete deteriorates.

Dowels farther from the load become more engaged in load transfer.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the failure of concrete around dowel bars in jointed rigid pavements, and the resulting effect on the pavement performance. In fact, under repetitive vehicle loading, concrete in contact with the dowel bar deteriorates, particularly at the joint face. The degradation of concrete around the dowel negatively affects the latter's performance in terms of transferring wheel loads through vertical shear action. In this context, a nonlinear 3D Finite Element analysis was performed using the commercial FE code Abaqus (v-6.11). The FE model was validated with classical analytical solutions of shear and moment along the dowel. A concrete damaged plasticity model was used for the PCC slab to model the degradation of concrete matrix around the dowels under incremental loading. Results obtained show, among other things, that the degradation of concrete matrix around the dowel was found to initiate at the face of the joint and propagate towards the interior of the dowel. Also, results obtained confirmed the decrease in load transfer capability of the dowels as the PCC matrix deteriorates. The central dowels under the wheel load lost a significant portion of their load-transfer capacity as the PCC matrix around them deteriorated, while dowels farther away from the wheel load became more engaged in load transfer.