Structural Design of Flexible Pavements Using Steel Netting as Base Reinforcement

Abstract

This article deals with the structural design of flexible pavements reinforced by steel nettings. The purpose is to estimate the gain in base material obtained by using such systems. Most of the current pavement design methods are modeling the reinforcing system as a continuous layer. This approach is leading to cost‐ineffective solutions. To overcome these present limitations, a three‐dimensional (3D) finite element modeling (FEM) approach is suggested. The application of 3D‐FEM allows simulation of the real shape of steel reinforcing nettings. To cover as many practical cases as possible, various pavements are considered, defined by various base thicknesses and soil bearing capacities. Structures with and without base reinforcement system are compared in terms of asphalt fatigue, rutting, and deflection performance. These comparisons make it possible to draw several design charts for various asphalt thicknesses and soil bearing capacities. Such design charts will avoid time‐consuming computations with 3D‐FEM applications and provide project engineers with more cost‐effective solutions.