Vibratory compaction response based on the contact model of roller-subgrade system

• The concept of effective contact area is proposed. • A novel numerical model of resilient modulus containing a porosity term is established. • The vibration response is extended to two dimensions. The quality of subgrade compaction affects the health and service life of the road. Establishing a mathematical and theoretical vibration model is beneficial to analyze the compaction process at the principle aspect to seek approaches to enhance compaction quality. In this research, a contact model of the roller-subgrade material system is constructed to simulate the compaction process. A novel numerical model of resilient modulus is presented, taking into account both the effects of matrix suction and porosity. In addition, the concept of effective contact area is proposed, and its influence on the compaction response, together with other material parameters, is analyzed. The comparison with the experimental results indicates that the presented model can effectively simulate the contact compaction response in the practical process. The findings provide theoretical support for improving compaction performance and compaction efficiency.