Deflection and Stress Analysis of a Pavement Slab under Temperature Gradient and Axial Loading Coupling

It has been established that a pavement slab will curl up if a temperature gradient exists across the depth of a slab. A negative temperature gradient causes the slab edge to curl up while a positive temperature gradient curls up the slab center. Temperature stress in slabs is induced by self-weight and other slab constraints. At present in P. R. China, the total stress considered in cement concrete pavement design includes the load stress plus the temperature stress, and only transverse cracking from bottom to top is considered for concrete pavement. Slab responses under axial loads and temperature gradient coupling are not included. We modeled a single slab with a frictionless interface between the slab and foundation using the finite element method. Slab deflection and stress were calculated under axial loads at different slab positions and negative or positive temperature gradient coupling. The calculated results show that the different conditions of axial loads and temperature gradient coupling will change the maximum tension and cause various types of cracks in a slab.