Response of Rigid Pavements due to Vehicle-Road Interaction

The dynamic response of a pavement structure, subject to a moving vehicle load, is investigated on a unified analytic framework. The time-dependent deflection and its derived dynamic quantities for a slab structure are obtained by linking together the characteristics of a road profile, a moving vehicle, and a slab on a viscoelastic foundation. Examples are presented to illustrate the analytic results derived from the established framework. The model may be applied to understand quantitatively the dynamic deflection and dynamic strains within a rigid pavement structure. It is found that the surface roughness effect on the dynamic response of a slab structure plays an important role for the serviceable life span of a pavement structure and may be taken into account in pavement design. The model may be calibrated to estimate the k-value for the evaluation of the subgrade support to a pavement as it ages.