Seminar - Ravindra Prathapa - Shakedown Analysis of Road Pavements - An Experimental Point of View

Wednesday, July 28, 2004, 1.10 - 1.50 pm
Civil Engineering Lecture Room 3

Abstract

Shakedown behaviour of road pavements is investigated under laboratory controlled conditions. Sydney University Pavement Testing Facility is used to measure accumulated plastic deformation, after applying traffic loads below and above the theoretical shakedown load. The Pavement Test Facility was upgraded to provide improved data acquisition, storage and analysis for the experiments.

The Test Facility consists of four main structural components: The test tank, the overhead track and the loading carriage. LVDTs monitor the springs loading the wheel and pavement settlement at different depths. An oval shaped track, gives a straight section across the pavement box. The pavement box can be moved to simulate lateral wander after each load cycle.

Preliminary testing of pavements with the University of Sydney Pavement Testing Facility have indicated that the shakedown loads predicted by 2-D shakedown theory analyses are a good indicator of whether a pavement will undergo continued deformation under cyclic wheel loading.