Development of a Viscoelastic Finite Element Tool for Asphalt Pavement Low Temperature Cracking Analysis

ABSTRACT This paper proposed and developed a tailored tool, “VE2D” for pavement low temperature cracking analysis based on viscoelastic two-dimensional (2D) finite element (FE) method. The tool can provide accurate thermal stress evaluation and thermal cracking prediction while considering the entire pavement structure rather than just the asphalt concrete layer. Also, this tool has four innovative features: Firstly, it incorporates the Enhanced Integrated Climate Model (EICM) that allows for a comprehensive pavement temperature analysis as a function of depth. Secondly, it can readily perform the interconversion between linear viscoelastic material functions, thus allowing greater flexibility in terms of the input data for the material properties such as relaxation modulus, complex modulus, or creep compliance. Thirdly, it can well simulate variable pavement layer contact conditions (such as fully-bonding, fully-sliding, etc) by using the thin-layer interface elements method. Fourthly, it is fast, easy, and does not require complicated FE information as input data. All these features make this tool unique and specifically suitable for pavement engineers to use for routine designs and analyses applications. Verification of the VE2D tool based on comparisons with other analytical solutions and actual field application yielded plausible results in this study.