Influence of geosynthetic reinforcement on maximum settlements of semi-rigid pavements

The aim of this paper was to improve the understanding of the influence exerted by geosynthetic reinforcement on stress and strain states in typical semi-rigid pavement structures subjected to traffic loading. A comparison of traffic-load-induced settlements of pavements with and without reinforcement is presented. The pavement-subgrade structure was modelled as a two-dimensional three-layer system using the finite element method. The behaviour of such structures was analysed in terms of ground compaction. A model of soil compaction was used to predict pavement deformation under repeated traffic loading. A series of numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the settlements of pavements with and without reflective cracks. It was assumed that reflective cracks propagate from the base layer to the pavement surface. The main attention was focused on the positive effect of the inclusion of reinforcement in pavements on the behaviour of such structures under traffic loading. The influence of such factors as subgrade properties, the magnitude of traffic loading and the presence of cracks in the pavement structure on stress and strain states was investigated. It was confirmed that placing a geosynthetic reinforcement layer inside the bituminous layer leads to a significant reduction in pavement settlements.