EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON STRUCTURAL RESPONSE OF RIGID PAVEMENTS UNDER MOVING TRUCK LOAD

The structural adequacy of a rigid pavement can normally be predicted based on its structural response to the applied loads. While considerable knowledge of pavement behaviour under static loads is available word-wide, only very limited number of studies have been carried out in the past to determine the effect of dynamic loads on rigid pavement deteriorations. Hence, opinions differ as to which type of load (static or dynamic) results in greater values of base deflection or flexural stress. In the present study, a rigid pavement test section consisting of two jointed reinforced concrete pavements and two jointed plain (unreinforced) concrete pavements was constructed and tested under both quasi-static and dynamic truck loads. Truck load was allowed to wander at predetermined locations on top of the instrumented pavement. Nominal speeds from 5 km/h to 55 km/h were used in the study. Various devices including strain gauges, displacement transducers, vertical accelerometers and thermocouples were installed at different depths along the test section. A total of 5184 time history responses of the test section were recorded. Results indicate the importance of dynamic analysis in rigid pavement design