Evaluation of the structural response of two in-service thin flexible pavements under heavy vehicle loading during different seasons by built-in sensors

Abstract

Long Heavy Vehicles (LHV) are considered more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation of goods compared to conventional trucks. Thus, the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight (GVW) in Sweden was increased on part of the road network from 64 to 74 tons in 2018 by increasing the vehicles’ length and the number of axle groups per vehicle but not the axle load limits. This change in loading conditions is expected to lead to changes in the structural response and degradation rate of thin pavements on the low-volume road network. To improve our understanding of thin pavements behaviour exposed to multiple axle loadings two thin pavement structures located in the north of Sweden were instrumented with road response and climate sensors. Four measurement campaigns were carried out within one year by in-situ stress and strain measurements from the built-in sensors as LHV passes over at normal speed. The recorded response was compared with numerical calculations based on multilayer elastic theory (MLET). Values of stresses and strains showed a generally good agreement with high values of coefficient of determination R 2 during different seasons when the asphalt stiffness values were adjusted based on temperature and granular layer stiffness values based on moisture.