ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the influence of roughness-induced dynamic truck axle loading on the variation in pavement responses. Measured dynamic tire load data at 40, 60, and 80 km/h (24.9, 37.3, and 49.7 mph) for air and rubber truck suspensions from five sites (smooth to severely rough) were investigated. A total of 840 individual 3D-Move analyses were conducted to estimate responses of two different pavement structures under a moving dual tire tandem axle at multiple locations within pavement structures. A new parameter called Dynamic Response Coefficient (DRC) was introduced to represent the variation in pavement responses due to the variation in dynamic truck axle loading. DRC is the coefficient of variation for a specific response at a specific point within the pavement structure. The results showed that DRC differs from the Dynamic Load Coefficient (DLC) and is a function of location within pavement, pavement structure and temperature, suspension type, vehicle speed, and road roughness.