Book Description

The response of flexible pavement is largely influenced by the resilient modulus of the pavement profile. Different methods/approaches have been adopted in order to estimate or measure the resilient modulus of each layer assuming an average modulus within the layer. In order to account for the variation in the modulus of elasticity with depth within a layer in elastic pavement analysis, which is due to temperature or moisture variation with depth, the layer should be divided into several sublayers and the modulus should be gradually varied between the layers. A powerful and innovative computer program has been developed for elastic pavement analysis that overcomes the limitations of the existing pavement analysis programs. The new program can predict accurately and efficiently the response of the pavement consisted of any number of layers/sublayers and any number of loads. The complexity of the tire-pavement loading configuration can be modeled easily as well. Practical pavement engineering problems have been analyzed and discussed taking into consideration the modulus variation with depth as well as the complex tire-pavement loading configuration utilizing our newly developed MultiSmart3D program. The analyzed problems illustrated that powerful analytical tools, such as MultiSmart3D, are needed to study and predict the pavement response in practical and fast manners. For example, the predicted life time of the pavement can be increased or decreased by a factor more than two if the modulus of elasticity variation with depth is taken into consideration.