A mixed finite element formulation for the analysis of flexible pavement | |
| Author | Jha, Kaushal Kumar |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.ST-03-11 |
| Subject(s) | Finite element method Pavements, Flexible |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Mater of Engineering |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Flexible pavement is a deceptively complex engineering system that requires a number of factors to be considered for its structural analysis. Materials used for the construction of flexible pavement behave in different manners under the application of repeated traffic loading. Constitutive relations such as viscoelasticity and associative plasticity may be appropriately applied for their behavioral modeling. In this situation, the use of the displacement-based finite element method is not efficient. This study describes the appropriateness of the mixed form of the finite element method in the structural analysis of flexible pavement. For this purpose, three different mixed forms of the finite element method are selected and applied to evaluate the pavement response. As a result, it has been found that the selection of a deep bottom boundary (a requirement in the displacementbased finite element method) is also a prerequisite for obtaining accurate mixed form finite element solutions. The first form studied, a so-called O' - u model, gives very accurate pavement responses but at the expense of computational effort and time. The second form considered, a u - p model, is found to be appropriate in terms of both accuracy and computational effort. The concept of a flexible boundary, which was originally developed for and applied in a displacement-based finite element method, has been successfully implemented in the mixed u - p model. The third form that was reviewed, a mixed u - H model, was found to be inappropriate for the axisymmetric pavement section and discretization scheme adopted in this study. |
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Structural Engineering (STE) /Former Name = Structural Engineering and Construction (ST) |
| Chairperson(s) | Barry, William J.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Pitchai Nimityongskul;Pannapa Herabat; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology (Partial Scholarship) |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2003 |