Finite Element Analysis of Concrete Pavements Over Culverts
by Zhanping You, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,61801 Urbana, IL U.S.A.), Yongxu Xia, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,61801 Urbana, IL U.S.A.), Changshun Hu, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,61801 Urbana, IL U.S.A.), and Changshun Hu, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,61801 Urbana, IL U.S.A.)
International Journal of Geomechanics, Vol. 1, No. 3, July 2001, pp. 337-350, (doi 10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2001)1:3(337))
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| Document type: |
Journal Paper |
| Abstract: |
Accelerated distress of Portland cement concrete pavements (PCCP) over structures such as culverts, pipes, and tunnels beneath roadways is a common occurrence. In this article, finite element analysis is employed to analyze the response of concrete pavements over such structures. The factors that influence the overlying pavement slabs include: (1) cover depth, (2) pavement slab thickness and length, (3) cement concrete elastic modulus, (4) foundation modulus, and (5) backfill soil modulus. The tensile stresses at the bottom and top of the slab induced by wheel loads are predicted. In the traditional pavement design only the tensile stress at the bottom of the slab is considered to be significant. However, this study shows that the tensile stress at the top surface of pavement slabs over culverts may also cause the concrete pavements to fail.A laboratory modelwas employed to study the mechanical characteristics of Portland cement concrete pavement slabs over culverts and to verify the theoretical analysis. |
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