Three-dimensional Thermo-viscoplastic Behaviour of Bituminous Materials: The DBN Model

ABSTRACT The DBN model, so called from its authors Di Benedetto and Neifar, has been developed, based on simple rheological elements and experimental results on bituminous materials. This model was developed thanks to the large amount of data obtained during the last two decades in the DGCB laboratory. In previous works, the development of the model has been limited to a unidirectional formulation. Nevertheless, the ability of this model to take into account the complex thermo-viscoplastic behaviour of bituminous material in different domains of loading is shown in this paper. In order to simulate the real behaviour in the pavements, the DBN model has been extended to a 3D formulation, which is described in the paper. The calibration of DBN model is also explained. Numerical simulations are compared with some few available data, considering the 3D behaviour of these materials.