Project Title: Poroelastic Modelling of Pore Pressure Development in pavement system and its impact on pavement performance

Objective/Abstract

Poroelastic modeling of the development of pore pressure in pavement structures subject to traffic load and its impact on pavement performance.

Equipment/Materials Used

The research work is pure computational, therefore, the main tool used to simulate the fully saturated material is Matlab. Abaqus is also used for elastic material.

Principal Investigator(s)

Zhe Wan, Lucio Salles de Salles, Lev Khazanovich

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of Pittsburgh Gill Chair

Current Student(s)

Zhe Wan

Key Findings

• A comprehensive model is developed for predicting dynamic pore pressure in pavement system under traffic load
• Base permeability can have a significant impact on pore pressure build up under traffic load.
• Speed of traffic load is another key factor that can affect dynamic fluctuation of pore pressure, especially for pavement with low permeability.

Potential Impact

The proposed methodology will lead to a more accurate modeling of moisture effects on pavement performance, which is especially important for roads in flood-prone areas and those at risk of flooding due to climate change.

Buzzwords

-structural performance