A FEM Simulation of the Mechanical Interaction between Asphalt Mixture and Geogrid at Micro-Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe (at micro-scale) the geogrid-reinforced flexible pavement behaviour under a static loading. The finite element technique is used to analyse the mechanical interaction between granular particles, asphalt binder and geogrid. The geogrid is the most commonly used geosynthetic product for enhancing the stiffness and stability of traditional flexible pavement and it is beneficial for reducing the rutting damage in pavement. The geosynthetic performance is influenced by geometry, material and its placement inside the pavement layers. Whereas, the asphalt mixture performance is governed by properties of aggregate (shape, size distribution, etc.), properties of asphalt binder (grading, viscosity, asphalt modifiers, etc.) and asphalt-aggregate interactions (adhesion and absorption, etc.). Through FEM software (ABAQUS) the microstructure is modelled in 3D. This microstructure is made up of three different components: spherical particles (aggregates), asphalt binder and one strip of geogrid.

Numerical Study of Geotextile-Reinforced Flexible Pavement Overlying Low-Strength Subgrade

“…Reinforcement is aided by developing tensile forces in geosynthetic material, which helps improve the stability of the geosynthetic-soil composite system. The effectiveness of reinforcement by geosynthetic materials is influenced by factors such as the engineering and geometric properties of the geosynthetics and subgrade stiffness [14,15]. Reinforcement increases the area in which the wheel load is distributed, resulting in a decrease in vertical stress and subgrade deformation [16].…”