Computational modeling of asphalt pavement resilience to flooding

Abstract

Flooding has multifarious impacts on asphalt pavement performance. This study provides a framework to comprehensively assess the asphalt pavement resilience to flooding by integrated computational modeling, addressing both surface and subsurface aspects. A hydro-mechanical mode was developed to evaluate the hydraulic scouring effect on the fully saturated areas on asphalt surface layer. From subsurface aspect, subsurface saturation profiles during inundation and recovery were first analyzed using a hydrological model. Based on saturation variations, a mechanistic model was developed to quantify the damage caused by subsurface weakening, and the previous hydro-mechanical model was adopted to evaluate the subgrade erosion potential. The proposed methodology provides an effective way to analyze various flooding impact mechanisms on asphalt pavement performance over both short- and long-term.