A computational framework for viscoelastic analysis of flexible pavements under moving loads

A general quasi-static computational procedure is established to evaluate stresses and strains induced in the viscoelastic flexible pavement by moving traffic. The procedure is based on superposition principle and is computationally favourable, as it requires only reduced incremental problem to be solved numerically. The impact of traffic speed and density on the mechanical response of flexible pavement is examined numerically. Results relevant for two major modes of pavement’s distress, i.e. cracking and rutting, are reported. It is shown that the state-of-practice layered elastic analysis used in pavement design is unable to capture several important qualitative and quantitative aspects of pavements response.