Study on Mechanical Characteristics of BRT Asphalt Pavement Structures Based on Temperature Field and Traffic Load

Abstract

To reveal the mechanical characteristics of BRT asphalt pavement structures under the combined effects of the temperature field and load of buses, a series of finite element analysis models were established in the software application ABAQUS to simulate the Lanzhou BRT asphalt pavement project. The actual BRT road temperature field in summer and loads of buses at different speeds were introduced in the model with user subroutines before conducting a sequentially coupled thermal-mechanical analysis. The results indicated that the BRT asphalt pavement structure readily experienced permanent deformation, mainly comprising unstable rutting during the high-temperature season, and the possibility of cracking was higher for the subbase bottom than for the base. Temperature imposed a greater influence than BRT vehicle frequency. To delay fatigue cracking of the base and subbase and the shear failure of asphalt pavement structures, BRT operating speed should be controlled within 30–40 km/h. In actual BRT asphalt pavement engineering, special attention should be given to the deformation resistance of the intermediate surface layer.

Rutting and Fatigue Resistance of High-Modulus Asphalt Mixture Considering the Combined Effects of Moisture Content and Temperature

“…It is possible to calculate the stress level used in stress-controlled fatigue tests using Equation (1). Therefore, in order to ensure the reliability and availability of the test results…”

“…It is possible to calculate the stress level used in stress-controlled fatigue tests using Equation (1). Therefore, in order to ensure the reliability and availability of the test results for evaluating the fatigue properties of asphalt mixture, and taking the simplicity of the test as the principle, this paper adopts the three-point bending fatigue test as the evaluation method.…”

“…Asphalt pavement has been widely used in high-grade roads owing to its good driving comfort. However, with the substantial increase in traffic volume, traffic overload, and traffic channelization, rutting, and fatigue cracks have become the most serious diseases of asphalt pavement in China [1][2][3][4][5]. In response to this problem, a high-modulus asphalt mixture (HMAM), which was prepared by adding high-modulus admixtures into common asphalt mixtures, is used to adopted in the construction of asphalt pavement to improve its rutting and fatigue resistance.…”

Assessing the Viability of Waste Plastic Aggregate in Stone-Modified Asphalt Concrete Mix for Bus Rapid Transit Pavement Maintenance

“…Pavement infrastructure is the lifeblood of modern transportation systems, connecting cities and regions [1], and facilitating the movement of people and goods [2]. In densely populated urban environments like Seoul, maintaining robust and sustainable pavements is paramount to operating efficient public transportation systems such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) [3,4]. However, these high-traffic zones, crucial for daily commuting and urban connectivity, often face substantial wear and tear, necessitating frequent maintenance, which demands significant financial resources [5].…”