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Keywords

Tire Contact Pressure, Flexible pavement, Geotextile, Pavement Reinforcement, Pavement Stress

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

Flexible pavements constructed over weak subgrades are subjected to premature failure due to excessive stress and deformation. Actual Tire contact pressure significantly affects the performance of flexible pavement. Geosynthetic reinforcement is used to overcome these issues. In this study, physical models with a (1/3) scale were used to investigate the effect of tire contact pressure on geotextile-reinforced flexible pavements over weak subgrades. Three pavement sections were studied: Control (unreinforced), Base-Surface reinforced with a non-woven geotextile, reinforced at the middle depth of the asphalt layer. Repeated axle loads were applied at three contact tire pressures of 480, 560, and 690 kPa, with vertical stresses measured at the bottom of the asphalt layer and at the top of the subgrade. Increasing tire pressure from 480 to 690 kPa raised vertical stresses at the asphalt bottom from 70.9% for the control section to 71.4 and 74.4% for sections 2 and 3, respectively. At the top of the subgrade, the same increase resulted in vertical stress rises from 58.9% for the control section to 73.7% and 83.6% for sections 2 and 3, respectively. Geotextile reinforcement effectively reduced subgrade stress at lower pressures, with middle depth reinforcement showing slightly better performance than surface–base interface reinforcement. However, the reinforcement benefits diminished under high contact tire pressures. The results revealed that tire pressure constitutes a fundamental factor that affects pavement performance, especially when built over weak subgrades, while optimized geotextile placement further contributes to performance gains.

References

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Highlights

The effect of tire contact pressure on geotextile-reinforced flexible pavements over weak subgrades were investigate. Increasing tire pressure raised the vertical stresses at the bottom at the asphalt layer and at the top of the subgrade. The use of geotextile reinforcement reduced stress transmission through the pavement layers. Reinforcement placed at mid-depth within the asphalt layer provided slightly better stress reduction. Overinflation can largely negate its structural benefits.

DOI

10.30684/etj.2025.164322.2009

First Page

991

Last Page

1001

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