Analysis of measured strain response of asphalt pavements and relevant prediction models

In order to investigate the actual strain response of asphalt pavement under real condition, three types of asphalt pavement sections with typical surface structures are built. The effects of axle configuration, axle load, speed and testing temperature on strain response of asphalt pavement were analysed through in situ dynamic loading. Experimental results indicate that the strain response at the bottom of the asphalt surface layer increases with increasing axle load and temperature, but decreases with the rise of speed. On the other hand, the temperature exerts different influence levels on pavement sections with different structures. It is also concluded that the tandem axle load could lead to a greater strain response than that of single axle load. Applying the analysis of variance, the effects of pavement surface temperature, axle load, speed and their double interactions are studied as well. Finally, the paper proposes prediction models of the strain response at the bottom of asphalt layer by means of multivariate regression analysis.