Development of the FEM wheel-soil model for the design of flexible pavements

¹ Research Centre, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
² Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Highway Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
³ Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Geodesy, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia

^* Corresponding author: martin.decky@svf.uniza.sk

Abstract

The development of numerical models to simulate vehicle-road interaction problems is an important part of research into the design of roads. Current state of numerical tyre models, tyre-road contact algorithms and non-linear plastic soil material models have reached such a level that they could be difficult for practical civil engineers. The aim of the article is to design the spatial model of the wheel-road model using the FEM commercial software ADINA so that it can be used in practical road design too. The idea to create a rubber part of a tyre model as a combination of two layers of shell elements made of elastic materials is the most interesting. Contact wheel-road was modelled by the Constraint Function algorithm, which is part of the ADINA system. The first part of the article describes the model and experimental verification. In the second part there is a practical demonstration of application.