Mechanistic Analysis of Rigid Pavement for Temperature Stresses Using Ansys

Abstract

Finite-element analysis is not new to the pavement design and research community. Two-dimensional finite-element programs have been in use for the past two decades to analyze rigid pavement response. In recent years three dimensional finite-element (3DFE) analyses emerged as a powerful tool capable of capturing pavement response. The study of the effect of temperature variation on concrete pavement using ANSYS software was presented. ANSYS is finite element method based software. Analysis for temperature stresses has been done using both linear and non-linear temperature gradient between top and bottom of pavement slab. The results obtained using the linear temperature gradient has shown reasonable agreement with the results obtained from the three other mechanistic models: given by software KENSLABS, ILLI-SLAB and JSLAB. The result also matches with the analytical solution proposed by Bradbury. The model was used to perform parametric studies involving effect of slab length and thickness on curling stresses. High curling stresses were not only observed for long slab but also for the short slab that has a thickness of 30cm. Frictional stress value obtained by ANSYS showed reasonable agreement with the stress value given by the software package ABAQUS, and but its value was less than that given by Westergaard's solution. The temperature stresses obtained for non-linear temperature gradient were compared with the linear temperature distribution. Non-linear temperature distribution cause higher stresses as compared with the linear temperature distribution.