Field measurement of strain response for typical asphalt pavement

TLDR: In this article, three typical asphalt pavement structures with flexible base, combined base and semi-rigid base were selected to perform field strain tests under static and dynamic load using the fiber Bragg grating optical sensing technology.

Abstract: In order to reveal the changing law of the mechanical response of asphalt pavements under the action of vehicle load and provide references for the design of durable pavements, three typical asphalt pavement structures with flexible base (S1), combined base (S2), and semi-rigid base (S3) were selected to perform field strain tests under static and dynamic load using the fiber Bragg grating optical sensing technology. The changing characteristics of the strain field along the horizontal and depth directions of pavements were analyzed. The results indicate that the most unfavorable asphalt pavement layers were the upper-middle surface layer and the lower base layer. In addition, the most unfavorable loading positions on the surface layer and the base layer were the center of wheel load and the gap center between two wheels, respectively. The most unfavorable layer of the surface layers gradually moved from the lower layer to the upper layer with the increase of base layer modulus. The power function relationships between structural layer strain and vehicle speed were revealed. The semi-rigid base asphalt pavement was the most durable pavement type, since its strain value was lower compared to those of the other structures.