Finite-Element Model for Urban Pavement Rutting: Analysis of Pavement Rehabilitation Methods

Abstract

This paper concerns analysis of rutting of urban pavements using finite-element modeling, which takes into account the nonlinear behavior of the pavement materials and the complex traffic condition. A viscoplastic constitutive relation is used for the description of the behavior of the asphalt concrete layer, while an elastoplastic constitutive relation, based on the Mohr–Coulomb criterion, is used for the other layers. The performances of the numerical model are checked over full-scale pavement tests. The model is used for analysis of rutting in urban pavements and for the analysis of rehabilitation methods. Analyses show that urban traffic conditions are detrimental for urban pavements and the use of high resistance asphalt concrete constitutes an efficient alternative for urban pavement rehabilitation.