Effect of functional grading on the performance of flexible pavements
Abstract
Fatigue failure is an important type of pavement distress which is considered in the pavement design. In
this study, it is aimed to increase the fatigue strength of the pavement without using any additives. For this
purpose, the functional grading concept and pavement life have been correlated. Functionally graded
materials are defined as a new material with graded structural functions and find application in many
areas such as aerospace, automobile, medicine, and energy. In functionally graded materials, the
material property is changed gradually depending on a particular function, which removes the
problems that occur in the composites due to the sudden change in material properties. In this study,
the problem of functional grading of asphalt concrete and base layers is discussed. Pavement life of
the graded cross-sections compared with conventional cross-sections depending on the parameters
such as loading radius, loading pressure, wheel and axle configurations, and material definitions. The
most remarkable finding in the study is that pavement life can be increased by 59% as a result of the
grading of the asphalt concrete and base layers together.
Source
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAVEMENT ENGINEERINGVolume
22Issue
4URI
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10298436.2019.1623403https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12418/12634