Work

Cyclic deformation of granular materials in principal stress space- experiments and prediction

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The permanent deformation of unbound granular materials (UGMs) is a key factor affecting the long-term performance of flexible pavements. This study investigates the influence of intermediate principal stress on the deformation behaviour of pavement materials under undrained conditions. The findings indicate that the variations of intermediate principal stress amplitude remarkably influence the strain accumulation patterns. Additionally, the results reveal that both resilient strain and modulus vary with changes in the intermediate principal stress. The distance to the failure line was defined as Δ by normalizing the applied stress ratio. Larger Δ consistently coincided with larger terminal slopes, indicating a shift from shakedown to sustained accumulation as the applied stress ratio approached the failure slope. To capture this stress-dependent behaviour, a mechanistic-empirical prediction model was proposed to capture the stress-dependent behaviour of UGMs. This model incorporates the effects of stress history and the intermediate principal stress, making it more adaptable to the realistic pavement loading conditions.

Source: Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.soildyn.2025.110006

Authors: Sajjad Vaseghi, Daichao Sheng, Hadi Khabbaz, Javad Ghorbani, Jayantha Kodikara

Institutions: University of Technology Sydney, RMIT University, Monash University

Language: English

Topic: Asphalt Pavement Performance Evaluation

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900

Funder: Australian Research Council