Open Access

ARTICLE

Spectral Element Approach for Inverse Models of 3D Layered Pavement

by Chun-Ying. Wu¹, R. Al-Khoury², C. Kasbergen², Xue-Yan. Liu², A. Scarpas²

1 Jiangsu Transportation Institute, Nanjing, wu_chunying@hotmail.com
2 Section of Structural Mechanics, Faculty of Civil Engi-neering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2007, 17(3), 163-172. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2007.017.163

Abstract

3D spectral element method in the article is presented to predict the pavement layer modules using field measurement of Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD). To improve the computational efficiency of the layer-condition assessment, one type of spectral element is proposed to develop the dynamic analysis of 3D multi-layered system subjected to an impulsive load. Each layer in structure is simulated as two-noded layer spectral element or one-noded spectral element in frequency domain. In order to identify the parameters of layered structures, a nonlinear optimization method called Powell hybrid algorithm is employed. The optimization procedure is performed in frequency domain and aims at minimizing the discrepancy of measured and calculated transfer function. In the case of the inverse calculation, it was verified that the Powell's algorithm had obtained stable and efficient convergences at the angle frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 80 Hz. The new dynamic method was applied in the Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement(CRCP) project which has four layers. Compared with static method, it proved that the inversed-analytical results of the 3D spectral element dynamic method is more accurate and stable.

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