Numerical analysis of double-layered asphalt pavement behaviour taking into account interface bonding conditions

Bonding conditions between pavement layers have an important influence on the responses of pavement structure. This paper deals with numerical analysis for the stresses, strains and deflections of double-layered asphalt pavement structure. The constitutive relations are based on the layered homogeneous half-space theory developed by Burmister (1943). In this work, in order to improve the modelling, the actual interaction between the layers is taken into account by considering a horizontal shear reaction modulus which represents the interface bonding condition. The numerical model is validated and applied through an original case study where falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests are carried out on two full-scale pavement sections with two different bonding conditions at the interface between asphalt layers. The results indicate that the considered numerical model allows evaluating and quantifying the interface bonding condition in determining by backcalculation the horizontal shear reaction modulus at the pavement interface.