Abstract
A vehicle traveling on the road exerts a dynamic load on the pavement. A realistic prediction of pavement response can be achieved by using a dynamic finite element analysis. However, the computational model of the finite element method is restricted to a finite domain. It is necessary to use a special boundary technique to consider the radiation condition of the unbounded domain into the finite element model. In this paper, absorbing elements are installed inside the finite element domain to simulate half-space conditions; these can absorb a propagating wave and prevent wave reflection from the bottom boundary. The efficiency of the absorbing elements is verified first, then the elastic structural responses of pavement under three different vehicle speeds are studied. Finally, the developed program is incorporated with the Drucker-Prager plasticity model to predict the permanent deformation of pavement under repeated traffic loading.
