Thermo-mechanical analysis of asphat pavements

Abstract

It is well-known that asphalt pavements present a mechanical behavior that depends on time, temperature and loading rate. The increase of the temperature increases the viscouspart of the viscoelastic behavior, while the decrease of the temperature increases the elastic part, increasing the material stiffness. The stiffness variation affects the stresses, strains and displacements in asphalt pavements. This effect is even more important in regions with great temperature variations. In this case even the compression and traction zones on the pavement can be changed. It is important to note that, in spite of the well-known importance of the temperature effects in the behavior of asphalt mixes, there are still few works related to the thermoviscoelastic analyses of pavements. It is generally accepted in pavement literature that asphalt mixtures can be considered as a thermorheologically simple material and that the Time-Temperature Superposition Principle is valid. Thus, this work presents an algorithm to the viscoelastic analysis of asphalt pavements including the temperature effects. A flexible pavement is analyzed in order to assess the importance of temperature effects on the stresses, strains and displacements in the structural behavior of asphalt pavements.