A study of temperature and traffic load related response in different layers in an instrumented flexible pavement

The first fully instrumented flexible pavement test section in Maine was constructed in Fall, 2005. Temperature data were collected for a period of 5 months and stress–strain data were collected by running a truck at different speeds. The temperature data were analysed to develop models to predict these temperatures on the basis of ambient temperature and solar radiation. The haversine equation was found to be suitable for modelling the strain response in HMA layers, whereas slight variations were used for modelling the responses in the subbase and subgrade layers. The strain in the HMA layer shows a lag when compared to the fitted model. The HMA tensile strains matched well with the predicted strains at lower time of loading and lower temperatures. Subbase stresses were greater than predicted values. The subbase strains matched well with the predicted ones. The measured subgrade stresses were greater than predicted stress values.