Influence of Sliding Interfaces on the Response of a Viscoelastic Pavement

This article aims at analyzing the influence of the perfect-slip interface condition on the computed response of a pavement structure. This condition has been implemented in the ViscoRoute software that solves the 3D mechanical problem of a multilayered viscoelastic pavement under moving loads. In the calculations, the load speed is assumed to be constant and the viscoelastic behavior of asphalt layers is represented by the Huet-Sayegh model. The dynamic equations are first solved in the frequency domain. A Fast Fourier Transformation is then employed to get the solution in the spatial domain. The effect of sliding interfaces and temperature are analyzed through an example dealing with composite pavements. In this context, the designing fields commonly used in France appear to be strongly influenced by the viscoelastic behavior of asphalt layers and the interlayer condition. This influence is quite noticeable on the deflection.