Investigating and Comparing Traffic Induced and Restrained Temperature Stresses in a Conventional Rigid Pavement and Semi-Rigid Layers

The paper investigates and compares the magnitude of restrained temperature stresses that can be achieved in both a rigid pavement and a flexible pavement with a grouted macadam surfacing. The analysis is based on well known Westergrad equation that commonly applicable for concrete and BISAR from Shell that used for flexible pavement A hypothetical pavement is designed to assess the properties of the materials under traffic induced stresses and temperature restrained stresses. The results indicate that grouted macadams could be as vulnerable to combinations of thermal and traffic stress as concrete and with respect to traffic induced stresses at the underside of the surfacing layer. Westergaard's analysis is more applicable to a concrete slab and BISAR is more suitable for grouted macadam surfacing.