Abstract
PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to validate the design criteria of the concrete modular road system, which is a new semi-bridge-type concept road, through a comparison of numerical analysis results and actual loading test results under static axial loads. METHODS : To design the semi-bridge-type modular road, both the bridge design code and the concrete structural design code were adopted. The standard truck load (KL-510) was applied as the major traffic vehicle for the design loading condition. The dimension of the modular slab was designed in consideration of self-weight, axial load, environmental load, and combined loads, with ultimate limit state coefficients. The ANSYS APDL (2010) program was used for case studies of center and edge loading, and the analysis results were compared with the actual mock-up test results. RESULTS : A full-scale mock-up test was successfully conducted. The maximum longitudinal steel strains were measured as about 35 and 83.5 micro-strain (within elastic range) at center and edge loading locations, respectively, under a 100 kN dual-wheel loading condition by accelerating pavement tester. CONCLUSIONS : Based on the results of the comparison between the numerical analysis and the full-scale test, the maximum converted stress range at the edge location is 32~51% of the required standard flexural strength under the two times over-weight loading condition. In the case of edge loading, the maximum converted stresses from the Westergaard equation, the ANSYS APDL analysis, and the mock-up test are 1.95, 1.7, and 2.3 times of that of the center loading case, respectively. The primary reason for this difference is related to the assumption of the boundary conditions of the vertical connection between the slab module and the crossbeam module. Even though more research is required to fully define the boundary conditions, the proposed design criteria for the concrete modular road finally seems to be reasonable.
