Effects of traffic loading on portuguese and brazilian pavements performance

• Autor(a) principal: Fernandes Junior, José Leomar
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Pais, Jorge C., Pereira, Paulo A. A.
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/7235
• topic: Axle load; Axle type; Tire pressure; Wheel type; Load equivalence factors

This work investigated the effects of traffic loading on the performance of Portuguese and Brazilian pavements, aiming to contribute to a better technical regulation of heavy vehicles and cost allocation related to the pavement deterioration. Among the traffic loading factors, this work considered axle load, axle type, tire inflation pressure, and wheel type. Six pavement structures were analyzed where three of them are representative of Portuguese pavements, and three are representative of Brazilian pavements. It was performed a linear-elastic mechanistic analysis to determine two structural responses: horizontal tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer and vertical compressive strain at the top of subgrade, associated to the most important pavement distresses in Portugal and Brazil, respectively fatigue cracking and rutting. With the structural responses it was calculated load equivalence factors, which represent the relative effect of each loading condition and allow the analysis of Portuguese and Brazilian pavement design methods and regulations.