Influence of traffic flow variability of heavy vehicles and temperature on pavement fatigue life

Abstract

The paper presents the effect of temperature variability and traffic flow variability on fatigue life of flexible road pavements (pavements with the subgrade made of unbound aggregates and asphalt concrete). The division of the territory of Poland for the homogeneous groups in terms of movement and temperature was made at the use of quantitative methods (cluster analysis) and qualitative methods (geographical and functional affiliation). The basis for the division was the shape of the profiles of temperature and traffic flow variability in subsequent months of the year and in successive seasons. After determining homogeneous groups, representative profiles of traffic flows and temperature variability were established, which were used to calculate the fatigue life of pavement structure. Fatigue life was determined using the criterion of fatigue of asphalt layers according to the Asphalt Institute. The calculations of stress and strain in the pavement were carried out using the program BISAR. The results have permitted comparison and identification of differences in pavement durability obtained depending on the values of equivalent temperatures.