Corrugation of an unpaved road surface under vehicle weight

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation of periodic ripples on unpaved roads caused by vehicle weight, proposing a mechanism involving soil contraction and vehicle oscillations supported by experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a new explanation for road corrugation focusing on soil contraction and vehicle dynamics, validated through experimental and numerical methods.

Findings

Vertical oscillations of vehicles influence corrugation development.

Soil contraction due to vehicle weight contributes to ripple formation.

Experimental and simulation data support the proposed mechanism.

Abstract

Road corrugation refers to the formation of periodic, transverse ripples on unpaved road surfaces. It forms spontaneously on an initially flat surface under heavy traffic and can be considered to be a type of unstable growth phenomenon, possibly caused by the local volume contraction of the underlying soil due to a moving vehicle's weight. In the present work, we demonstrate a possible mechanism for road corrugation using experimental data of soil consolidation and numerical simulations. The results indicate that the vertical oscillation of moving vehicles, which is excited by the initial irregularities of the surface, plays a key role in the development of corrugation.