Analysis of Thermal Stress in Asphalt Overlay Based on Thermal-viscoelasticity Theory

Abstract

The thermal stress responses of various structural asphalt pavement under different cooling conditions were analyzed considering thermal-viscoelasticiy of asphalt pavement mixture by using finite element software. The influence of cooling speed, initial temperature, cooling range, pavement thickness, base modulus and thermal shrinkage ratio on temperature stress were represented. The results indicate that (1) the cumulated value of thermal shrinkage stress in asphalt pavement is low under high temperature; (2) the initial temperature and cooling speed distinctly effect the thermal stress of asphalt pavement; (3) the reflective crack is more easily occurred in thin asphalt overlay than the thick one, while the up-down crack is more easily happened in thick asphalt overlay than the thin one; and (4) too large base modulus is unsuitable.