Effects of geometrical parameters on numerical modeling of pavement granular material

Abstract

Numerical modeling of granular pavement materials is one of the modeling approaches that can be used to predict material response to specific loading conditions. This modeling is dependent on many factors and variables and includes assumptions for material behavior, loading conditions, geomechanical properties, and geometrical parameters. In this study in-depth research has been undertaken to determine the sensitivity of geometrical parameters on pavement numerical modeling. Geometrical parameters are all those parameters that can be used to define a numerical model, including layer thickness, meshing system, and nature of the model (2D or 3D). In this study a layered granular pavement has been modeled through ABAQUS, which is a general finite element program. The results have been compared with layered elastic theory by CIRCLY and KENLAYER. This study will deal with three kinds of modeling: 2D axisymmetric, 2D plain strain, and a complete 3D model. In each of these three models, the influence of layer thickness, elements type, and mesh density has been investigated. The results have been presented, compared, and discussed to identify the most influential parameters