Structural optimization study based on crushing of semi-rigid base

Abstract

Semi-rigid base materials are used in all pavement grades and are shown to have excellent stability. Furthermore, semi-rigid bases are known for their stiffness and strong frost resistance. However, these semi-rigid base materials are starting to require significant levels of maintenance and repair due to wear and tear. Maintenance is performed primarily to add pavement and resurfacing material, with the hope that the resurfacing layer can withstand large tensile and shear forces at the cracks of the base, thus increasing the overall durability of the pavement. Furthermore, crushing technology used for cement panel maintenance can be used to eliminate cracks in the overlay layer thus improving overall service life expectancy. The studies below study the application of crushing technology to a semi-rigid base and the subsequent alternation to the structural design of the pavement. Furthermore, the mechanical index sensitivities of pavement structures post-rubblization were analyzed using finite elements. Mechanical indexes with high sensitivity were subsequently adopted as structural damage control indexes. These indexes were used to optimize overlay structure and provide a reference for structural design post-rubblization.

Keywords

• semi-rigid base
• mechanical properties
• crushing
• maintenance
• optimization