Mechanistic-Empirical Asphalt Pavement Design Considering the Effect of Seasonal Temperature Variations

The paper analyses the influence of seasonal temperature variations on fatigue strength of flexible and semi-rigid pavement structures chosen for KR4 traffic flow category. The durability of pavement determined assuming a yearly equivalent temperature of 10°C and assuming season-dependent equivalent temperatures was compared. Durability of pavement was determined with the use of Asphalt Institute Method and French Method. Finite Element Method was applied in order to obtain the strain and stress states by the means of ANSYS Mechanical software. Obtained results indicate a considerable drop in pavement durability if seasonal temperature variations are considered (up to 64% for flexible pavements and up to 80% for semi-rigid pavements). Durability obtained by the French Method presents lower dependence on the analysed aspect.