Pavement Distress from Channelized and Lateral Wandering Loads Using Accelerated Pavement Tests

Stresses and strains within a road structure are affected not only by the amount and distribution of tire contact pressures as well as speed and rest periods between load passings but also by the lateral position of the wheels within the traffic lane. In this work, the effect of channelized and lateral wandering of 65 kN half axle loads on the performance of a newly constructed asphalt pavement section for low traffic volume has been studied by means of a Mobile Load Simulator MLS10 accelerated pavement loading facility. 250,000 super single wheel passings at 18 km/h were applied in each case and evaluated with visual inspections plus rutting and Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) measurements. Pavement response was monitored with strain gauges, accelerometers and thermocouples. The combined analysis of the results showed that channelized loading created longitudinal surface cracks in the pavement, whereas non-channelized loading did not produce any visible sign of cracking or other damage. Rutting in both loading locations showed similar depths, although the non-channelized rutting basin was wider and smoother than in the channelized case. Accelerometer and strain gauge results demonstrated the importance of the load position on the pavement’s response.