Discrete Element Simulation of Bending Deformation of Geogrid-Reinforced Macadam Base

Abstract

The pavement bending deformation resistance of the existing macadam base structure is poor. The geogrid-reinforced macadam base can effectively strengthen the bending resistance of the pavement, but no international consensus has been reached at present over bending failure laws of reinforced macadam base structure. Discrete element models of semi-rigid base pavement structure, macadam base pavement structure, and geogrid-reinforced macadam base pavement structure were built based on MATDEM discrete element simulation program; loading calculation of the three models was conducted by taking their centers as loading positions; and model displacement nephogram, strain nephogram, and effects of different spans on their bending deformation were analyzed to reveal bending failure laws of reinforced macadam base and improvement effect of the geogrid on the anti-bending performance of the macadam structural layer. Finally, bending deformation laws of the three pavement structures and improvement effect of geogrid reinforcement on bending properties of the macadam base structure were established. The results show that under bending deformation of semi-rigid base, the vertical strain at the contract surface between the baseplate and soil base and horizontal strain at midspan position reach the maximum, which can easily lead to fracture and shear failure, and the macadam base layer can effectively isolate the tensile strain transmitted from bottom up. Through their own deformation, grids can transform surface pressure load into frictional resistance at the geogrid/soil interface and partial kinetic energy in the system into their own elastic potential energy to reduce the kinetic energy at the subbase layer. Geogrid reinforcement can improve the nonlinearity of macadam materials, reduce the fluctuation amplitude of the strain curve and displacement curve, lengthen the service life of the macadam base pavement structure, and improve its structural soundness under bending deformation. This study can provide a theoretical reference for numerical simulation of bending failure of geogrid-reinforced macadam base.

Keywords

• bending failure
• discrete element method
• flexible base
• geogrid
• graded broken stone
• reinforced pavement structure