Chapter - 4 Highway II

WOLDIA UNIVERSITY
1
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Civil Engineering
Highway Engineering II – CEng-4202

(Pavement Materials, Analysis and Design)
Prepared by: Asfachew Belete
M.Sc. in Railway Engineering (Civil Infrastructure)

M.Sc. in Civil Engineering (Road and Transport Engineering)
January, 2023
2
Stresses in Pavement
HIGHWAY II - Stress in Pavements

Stress in pavements
3
Contents:
 Stress in flexible pavements
Stress in homogeneous mass
Stress in a layered system
 Stress in rigid pavements
Stress due to vehicle loading
Stress due to curling
Stress due to friction

Stress in Homogeneous Mass
4
 The response of a pavement structure to traffic loading is

mechanistically modeled by computing stresses and strains
within its layers.
 Excessive stresses may cause pavement fatigue cracking and/or
surface rutting which may result in both structural and functional
failure.
 These failure distresses are minimized among others by use of
effective balanced pavement designs.
 Pavement stress-strain analysis is constitutes an integral part of
pavement design and performance evaluation.

5
 Although pavement structures are layered structures, we start

with a discussion of the stresses in a homogeneous half space.
 Originally Boussinesq developed his equations for a point load
but later on the equations were extended for circular wheel loads.
 The simplest way to characterize the behavior of pavement under
wheel loads is to consider the subgrade, the subbase and the
surfacing layers to form a homogeneous half space.
 If the modulus ratio between the pavement and the subgrade is
close to unity, as exemplified by a thin granular base, the
Boussinesq theory can be applied to determine the stresses,
strains and deflection in the subgrade.
6
 The half space has an elastic modulus E and a Poisson ratio.

 A small cylindrical element with a center at a distance z below
the surface and r from the axis of symmetry is shown.
 Due to axisymmetry, there are only three normal stresses, σ z, σr,
σt, and one shear stress, τrz, which is equal to τzr.
 These stresses are functions of q, r/a, and z/a.
7
 Figure 2-1 shows a homogeneous half space subjected to a

circular load with a radius a and a uniform pressure q.
8
 Foster and Ahlvin has developed charts as provided here from

Figure 2-2 to Figure 2-6 (assuming the half space is
incompressible with a Poisson ratio of 0.5.) for determining
 Vertical stress σz,

 Radial stress σr,
 Tangential stress σt,
 Shear stress τrz, and
 Vertical deflection w.
9
 Figure 2-2: Vertical stress due to circular loading (Foster and Ahlvin, 1954)
10
 Figure 2-3: Radial stress due to circular loading (Foster and Ahlvin, 1954)
11
 Figure 2-4: Tangential stress due to circular loading (Foster and Ahlvin, 1954)
12
 Figure 2-5: Shear stress due to circular loading (Foster and Ahlvin, 1954)
13
 Figure 2-6: Vertical deflection due to circular loading (Foster and Ahlvin,
1954)
14
 After the stresses are obtained from charts, the strains can be
computed from:
15
If the contact area consists of two circles, the stresses
and strains can be computed by superposition.

When the wheel load is applied over a single contact
area, the most critical stress, strain, and deflection occur

under the center of the circular area are on the axis of
symmetry, where τrz=0 and σt= σr, so σz and σt are the
principal stresses.
16
 The stresses, strain, and deflection on the axis of symmetry of a wheel

load applied to a pavement (similar to a load applied to flexible plate)
with radius a and a uniform pressure q, can be computed by:
17
When v=0.5, the deflection equation is simplified

to:
On the surface of the loaded half space, z=0, the

deflection is
18
If the load is applied on a rigid plate such as that used

in plate loading test, the deflection is the same at all
points on the plate, but the pressure distribution
under the plate is not uniform and is expressed as:
Where
r = the distance from the center point where the pressure is to be
determined
q = the average pressure which is equal to the load divided by the
area.
19
 Figure 2-8 shows the effect of pavement layer on the distribution of

vertical stress under the center of the circular loaded area when h 1/a =
1 and v = 0.5.
20
The smallest pressure is at the center and equals to

one half of the average pressure. The pressure at
the edge is infinity. The deflection of the rigid plate
is given by:
All the above analysis is based on the assumption

that the flexible pavement is homogeneous,
isotropic and semi-infinite.
21
With these assumptions, Bousinesq theory has the

following drawbacks:
 Flexible pavements are multilayered structures with each
layer having its own modulus of elasticity.
 The pavement layer and the subgrade soil are not perfectly
elastic.
 The assumption that the load is uniformly distributed may
not be true.
Stresses in Layered Systems
22
In actual case, flexible pavements are layered

systems with better materials on the top and
cannot be represented by a homogeneous mass.
Various multilayer theories for estimating stresses
and deflection have been proposed.
However, basic theories that utilize assumptions
close to actual conditions in flexible pavement are
those proposed by Burmister.
Stresses in Layered Systems
23
 Burmister first developed solutions for two-layer system and then

extended them to a three-layer system with the following
assumptions:
 Each layer is homogeneous, isotropic and linearly elastic with elastic
modulus, E, and Poisson’s ratio, v.
 The material is weightless and infinite in lateral directions, but of finite
depth, h, whereas the underlying layer is infinite in both the horizontal and
vertical directions.
 A uniform pressure q is applied on the surface over a circular area of radius
a.
 The layers are in continuous contact and continuity conditions are satisfied
at the layer interfaces, as indicated by the same vertical stresses, shear
stresses, vertical displacement and radial displacement. For frictionless
interface, the continuity of shear stress and radial displacement is replaced
by zero shear stress at each side of the interface.

Two-Layer Systems
24
 The exact case of a two layer system is the full depth asphalt
pavement construction in which a thick layer of hot-mix
asphalt is placed directly on the subgrade.
 If the pavement is composed of three layers (e.g., surface
course, base course and subgrade) the stresses and strains
in the surface layer can be computed by combining the base
course and the subgrade into a single layer.
 Similarly the stresses and strains in the subgrade can be
computed by combining the surface course and the base
course.
Two-Layer Systems
25
 Vertical Stress: - the stresses in a two layer system

depends on modulus ratio E1/E2 and the thickness radius
ratio h1/a.
 Figure 2-8 shows the effect of pavement layer on the

distribution of vertical stress under the center of the
circular loaded area when h1/a = 1 and v = 0.5.
 Figure 2-9 shows the effect of pavement thickness and

modulus ratio on vertical stresses, σc, at the pavement-
subgrade interface.
Two-Layer Systems
26
 Figure 2-8 shows the effect of pavement layer on the distribution of vertical
stress under the center of the circular loaded area when h1/a = 1 and v = 0.5.
Two-Layer Systems
27
 Figure 2-9 shows the effect of pavement thickness and modulus ratio on
vertical stresses, σc, at the pavement-subgrade interface.
Two-Layer Systems
28
 Deflection: - Surface and interface deflection have been

used as criteria for pavement design.
 The surface deflection under a uniformly circular loaded
area is given in terms of the defection factor F2 (Figure 2-
10) as:
 The interface deflection between the two layers is expressed

in terms of deflection factor F (Figure 2-11 & 2-12) as:
Two-Layer Systems
29
 Figure 2-10: Vertical surface deflection factor for two layer system.
(Burmister, 1943)
Two-Layer Systems
30
 Figure 2-11: Vertical interface deflection factor for two layer system,
E1/E2=10. (Haung, 1969)
Two-Layer Systems
31
 Figure 2-12: Vertical interface deflection factor for two layer system,
E1/E2=50. (Haung, 1969)
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WOLDIA UNIVERSITY

Highway Engineering II – CEng-4202

Prepared by: Asfachew Belete

M.Sc. in Railway Engineering (Civil Infrastructure)

HIGHWAY II - Stress in Pavements

HIGHWAY II - Stress in Pavements

 The response of a pavement structure to traffic loading is

HIGHWAY II - Stress in Pavements

 Although pavement structures are layered structures, we start

 The half space has an elastic modulus E and a Poisson ratio.

 Figure 2-1 shows a homogeneous half space subjected to a

 Foster and Ahlvin has developed charts as provided here from

 Vertical stress σz,

If the contact area consists of two circles, the stresses

and strains can be computed by superposition.

area, the most critical stress, strain, and deflection occur

 The stresses, strain, and deflection on the axis of symmetry of a wheel

When v=0.5, the deflection equation is simplified

On the surface of the loaded half space, z=0, the

If the load is applied on a rigid plate such as that used

 Figure 2-8 shows the effect of pavement layer on the distribution of

The smallest pressure is at the center and equals to

All the above analysis is based on the assumption

With these assumptions, Bousinesq theory has the

In actual case, flexible pavements are layered

 Burmister first developed solutions for two-layer system and then

HIGHWAY II - Stress in Pavements

 Vertical Stress: - the stresses in a two layer system

 Figure 2-8 shows the effect of pavement layer on the

 Figure 2-9 shows the effect of pavement thickness and

 Deflection: - Surface and interface deflection have been

 The interface deflection between the two layers is expressed

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