Numerical analysis of cracking in doweled concrete pavements

This study conducts a comprehensive numerical analysis of crack propagation in concrete pavement slabs with doweled joints, utilising the finite element software ABAQUS 6.9-2. The investigation employs traction-separation cohesive elements to model the fracture process, adhering to the principles of the fictitious crack model. The analysis encompasses both wheel loading and thermal curling effects to understand their influence on pavement behaviour. Key parameters under scrutiny include joint width, idealisation of dowel–concrete interaction, and dowel slip. Results show that increasing the initial joint opening (from 5  to 20 mm) slightly reduces system stiffness, evidenced by a decrease in the slope of the load–displacement curve, but has minimal impact on peak load capacity (∼200 kN). Dowel–concrete interaction is a critical factor, with dowel slip reducing peak load capacity by up to 20% and load transfer efficiency dropping from 0.705 (fully bonded) to 0.696 (friction coefficient = 0.01). Thermal gradients significantly affect performance, with daytime temperature conditions reducing peak load resistance to ∼80 kN, compared with ∼423 kN at nighttime. The findings highlight the suitability of cohesive elements for fracture analysis and suggest improvements for rational failure criteria in mechanistic-empirical pavement design frameworks.