Accelerated pavement cracking testing : Experimental and finite element analysis

6th RILEM International conference on cracking in pavements, CHICAGO, ETATS-UNIS, 16-/06/2008 - 18/06/2008International audienceIn the domain of pavement reinforcement one of the major problems is the frequent incidence of reflective cracking over the top asphalt new layer. One experiment using an Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) facility has been done to evaluate this type of damage. The experiment was performed on a full scale test track with three types of surface layers. Transversal joints were established in the base layer and were charged with heavy traffic loads to promote reflective cracking in the surface layer. Many sensors measuring deformations, temperature, vertical displacements and crack evolution were used. The experimental data has been compared with numerical computation results made with the CESAR-LCPC's FEA software. This comparison had lead to a validation of the calculation hypothesis and a better understanding of the reflective cracking failure mechanism. The main perspective is to use those results to define a new laboratory test equipment to evaluate reflective cracking on pavement bituminous complexes