Finite Element Analysis of Top-Down Cracking in Asphalt Pavement

Surface-initiated longitudinal cracking along wheelpath(or Top-Down cracking) is not only one of the main damage types of heavy-duty asphalt pavement but also a fresh hotspot in the field of pavement damage focused by intemational asphalt pavement engineering.The authors developed a 3D finite element model of pavement structure based on the actual measurement of tire contact force,computed the maximum tensile stress and shear stress and their locations for four roads,and drew the contour maps.The locations of the maximal tensile stress and shear stress were compared with cracking phenomena,and the maximum stress was compared with stress strength as well.The analysis shows that shear stress under wheel load is the major reason that causes Top-Down cracking.