Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical investigation of fatigue characteristics of concrete pavement

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Fracture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In concrete pavements, fatigue is one of the major causes of distress. Repeated loads result in the formation of cracks. The propagation of these cracks cause internal progressive damage within the structure, which ultimately leads to failure of the pavement due to fatigue. This paper presents a theoretical investigation of crack propagation within concrete pavement and its fatigue characteristics under cyclic loading. A numerical fatigue performance model has been developed for this purpose. The model is based on fictitious crack approach for the propagation of cracks and stress degradation approach for estimating the bridging stress under cyclic loading. Using the numerical model, a parametric study has been performed for a typical concrete pavement to evaluate its fatigue characteristics for different foundation strengths. The method can be used for prediction of crack propagation in concrete pavement under cyclic loading and gives an estimate of the incremental damage or the entire crack history of the pavement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ANSYS Users’ Manual (2002) ANSYS Inc. Cannonsburg, PA

  • Aglan HA, Figueroa JL (1993) Damage evolution approach to fatigue cracking in pavements. J Eng Mech ASCE 119(6):1243–1259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bache H H, Vinding I (1990). Fracture mechanics in design of concrete pavements. In: Proceedings of the second international workshop on the design and evaluation of concrete pavements, CROW/PIARC, Siguenza, Spain, pp 139–164

  • Barenberg EJ (2005). Factors affecting fatigue failure of concrete. In: Proceedings of workshop on fracture mechanics for concrete pavements: theory to practice. Colorado, USA

  • Bazant ZP (1984) Size effect in blunt fracture: concrete, rock, metal. J Eng Mech ASCE 110(4):518–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bazant ZP (2002) Concrete fracture models: testing and practice. Eng Fract Mech 69:165–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpinteri A, Colombo G (1989) Numerical analysis of catastrophic softening behaviour (snap-back instability). Comput Struct 31(4):607–636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpinteri A, Massabo R (1996) Bridged versus cohesive crack in the flexural behaviour of brittle-matrix composites. Int J Fract 81:125–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpinteri A, Spagnoli S, Vantadori S (2004) A fracture mechanics model for a composite beam with multiple reinforcements under cylic bending. Solids Struct 41:5499–5515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpinteri A, Spagnoli S, Vantadori S (2006) An elastic-plastic crack bridging model for brittle-matrix fibrous composite beams under cyclic loading. Solids Struct 43:4917–4936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceriolo L, Tommaso AD (1998) Fracture mechanics of brittle materials: a historical point of view. 2nd international PhD symposium in civil engineering, Budapest

  • Darter MI (1990) Concrete slab versus beam fatigue models. In: Proceedings of the second international workshop on the design and evaluation of concrete pavements, CROW/PIARC, Siguenza, Spain, pp 139–164

  • Gaedicke C, Roesler J, Shah S (2009) Fatigue crack growth prediction in concrete slabs. Int J Fatigue 31:1309–1317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gopalaratnam VS, Shah SP (1985) Softening response of plain concrete in direct tension. J Am Concr Inst 82:310–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Guinea GV, Hussein G, Elices M, Planas J (2000) Micromechanical modeling of brick-masonry fracture. Cem Concr Res 30:731–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gylltoft K (1983) Fracture mechanics models for fatigue in concrete structures. Ph.D. Thesis, Lulea university of Technology, Lulea, Sweden

  • Hillerborg A, Modeer M, Petersson P-E (1976) Analysis of crack formation and crack growth in concrete by means of fracture mechanics and finite elements. Cem Concr Res 6:773–782

  • Hordijk DA (1992) Tensile and tensile fatigue behaviour of concrete: experiments, modelling and analysis. Heron 37(1): 1–77

  • Ioannides AM (1995) Fracture mechanics applications in pavement engineering: a literature review. Consulting report, Contract DACA39-94-C-0121, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi

  • Ioannides AM (1997) Fracture mechanics in pavement engineering: the specimen-size effect. Transportation research record, TRB, National Research Council, Washington DC, 1568, 10–16

  • Ioannides AM (2005) Stress prediction for cracking of jointed plain concrete pavements, 1925–2000: an overview. TRB, annual meeting

  • Ioannides AM (2006) Concrete pavement analysis: the first eighty years. Int J Pavement Eng 7(4):233–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IRC: 58, (2011) Guidelines for the design of plain jointed rigid pavements for highways. The Indian Roads Congress, New Delhi

  • Jensen EA, Hansen W (2002) Crack resistance of jointed plain concrete pavements. Transportation research record, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, DC, 1809, 60–65

  • Karihaloo BL (1995) Fracture mechanics and structural concrete. Concrete design and construction series, Harlow, Essex, England, Longman Scientific & Technical

  • Lytton RL, Shanmugham U (1982) Analysis and design of pavements to resist thermal cracking using fracture mechanics. In: Proceedings of the 5th international conference on the structural design of asphalt pavements, 1, Delft, Netherlands, pp 818–830

  • Maitra SR, Reddy KS, Ramachandra LS (2009) Load transfer characteristics of dowel bar system in jointed concrete pavement. J Transp Eng ASCE 135(11):813–821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maitra SR, Reddy KS, Ramachandra LS (2010) Load transfer characteristics of aggregate interlocking in concrete pavement. J Transp Eng ASCE 136(3):190–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Majidzadeh K, Ramsamooj DV, Kauffmann EM (1971) Application of fracture mechanics in the analysis of pavement fatigue. Report, Annual Meeting of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologies

  • MATLAB Users’ Manual (2009) The Math Works Inc

  • Mardock JW, Kesler CE (1959) Effect of range of stress on fatigue strength of plain concrete beams. ACI J 55(2):221–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Miner MA (1945) Cumulative damage in fatigue. Trans Am Soc Mech Eng 67:A-159–A164

    Google Scholar 

  • NCHRP Report (2004). Guide for mechanistic-empirical design of new and rehabilitated pavement structures. Final report for project 1-37A, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC

  • Navalurkar RK, Hsu CTT (2001) Fracture analysis of high strength concrete members. J Mater Civil Eng ASCE 13(3):185–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oh BH (1991) Fatigue life distributions for various stress levels of concrete. ACI Mater J 88(2):122–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Park K, Paulino GH, Roesler JR (2008) Determination of the kink point in the bilinear softening model for concrete. Eng Fract Mech 75(13):3806–3818

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PCA (1984) Thickness design for concrete highway and street pavements. Portland Cement Association

  • Petersson P-E (1981) Crack growth and development of fracture zones in plain concrete and similar materials. Report TVBM-1006, Division of Building Materials, Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden

  • Planas J, Elices M (1990) Fracture criteria for concrete: mathematical approximations and experimental validation. Eng Fract Mech 35:87–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Planas J, Elices M (1991) Nonlinear fracture of cohesive materials. Int J Fract 51:139–157

  • Ramsamooj DV (1999) Stresses in jointed rigid pavements. J Transp Eng ASCE 125(2):101–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinhardt HW, Cornelissen HAW (1984) Post-peak cyclic behaviour of concrete in uniaxial tensile and alternating tensile and compressive loading. Cem Concr Res 14:263–270

  • Reinhardt HW, Cornelissen HAW, Hordijk DA (1986) Tensile tests and failure analysis of concrete. J Struct Eng ASCE 112(11):2462–2477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roesler JR, Littleton PC, Hiller JE, Long GE (2004) Effect of stress state on concrete slab fatigue resistance. Technical report of research, Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 05-C-AT-UIUC

  • Roesler J, Paulino GH, Park K, Gaedicke C (2007) Concrete fracture prediction using bilinear softening. Cem Concr Compos 29:300–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roesler JR, Khazanovich L (1997) Finite element analysis of portland cement concrete pavements with cracks. Transportation research record, TRB, National Research Council, Washington DC, 1568, 1–9

  • Subramaniam KV, Edward FON, Popovics JS, Shah SP (2000) Crack propagation in flexural fatigue of concrete. J Eng Mech ASCE 126(9):891–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subramaniam KV, Popovics JS, Shah SP (2002) Fatigue fracture of concrete subjected to biaxial stresses in the tensile C-T region. J Eng Mech ASCE 128(6):668–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toumi A, Bascoul A, Turatsinze A (1998) Crack propagation in concrete subjected to flexural-cyclic loading. Mater Struct 31:451–458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toumi A, Bascoul A (2002) Mode I crack propagation in concrete under fatigue: microscopic observations and modelling. Int J Numer Anal Methods Geomech 26:1299–1312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westergaard HM (1926) Stresses in concrete pavements computed by theoretical analysis. Pub Roads 7:25–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittmann FH, Rokugo K, Bruhwiler E, Mihashi H, Simopnin P (1988) Fracture energy and strain softening of concrete as determined by compact tension specimens. Mater Struct 21:21–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Stang H (1998) Fatigue performance in flexure of fiber reinforced concrete. ACI Mater J 95(1):58–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Stang H, Li VC (1999) Fatigue life prediction of fiber reinforced concrete under flexure load. Int J Fatigue 21(10):1033–1049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Stang H, Li VC (2000) Experimental study on crack bridging in FRC under uniaxial fatigue tension. J Mater Civil Eng ASCE 12(1):66–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Li VC, Stang H (2001) Size effect on fatigue in bending of concrete. J Mater Civil Eng ASCE 13(6):446–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was sponsored by the research grant under the WOS-A scheme, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. The authors would like to thank all the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions in preparing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721 302, West Bengal, India

    Swati Roy Maitra, K. S. Reddy & L. S. Ramachandra

Authors
  1. Swati Roy Maitra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. S. Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. S. Ramachandra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Swati Roy Maitra.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Maitra, S.R., Reddy, K.S. & Ramachandra, L.S. Numerical investigation of fatigue characteristics of concrete pavement. Int J Fract 189, 181–193 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-014-9969-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-014-9969-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation