Computer simulation and field measurement of dynamic pavement loading

Two methods, i.e. computer simulation and field measurement, are used in this paper to investigate dynamic pavement loading (DPL) generated by vehicle–pavement interaction. A profilometer is used for measuring road surface roughness. Based on the power spectral density of the measured surface roughness, a computer simulation program is developed using quarter vehicle model. In field measurement methods, an experiment is designed to gain the time history of DPL. An IVECO vehicle is taken as a test vehicle and eight vibration cells were used to pick up vertical accelerations of vehicle body and axle. The test data are collected and recorded while the test vehicle is moving along 11 different pavement sections of highway and bridge at six different speeds. Statistical characteristics of vertical accelerations and DPL of the test vehicle are obtained and analyzed by means of random process theory. The result of computer simulation matches the result of field measurement very well. It is found that DPL is primarily concentrated between 1.8 and 14.8Hz and coefficient of variation of DPL falls into the range of 5–35% of static vehicle load. An approximate relationship between coefficient of variation of DPL and vehicle speed and road surface roughness is established.