Influence of sliding interfaces on the response of a layered viscoelastic medium under a moving load

• Published in: International journal of solids and structures 2010-12, Vol.47 (25), p.3435-3446
• Main Authors: Chupin, O., Chabot, A., Piau, J.-M., Duhamel, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Buildings. Public works; Civil Engineering; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Infrastructures de transport; Interface condition; Interlayers; Layered viscoelastic medium; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Mechanical contact (friction...); Mechanics; Mechanics of materials; Moving load problem; Moving loads; Pavement engineering; Physics; Road construction. Pavements. Maintenance; Sliding; Slip; Solid mechanics; Spectral methods; Static elasticity (thermoelasticity...); Strain; Structural and continuum mechanics; Structural mechanics; Surfacing; Transportation infrastructure; Vibration, mechanical wave, dynamic stability (aeroelasticity, vibration control...); Viscoelasticity
• ISSN: 0020-7683; 1879-2146
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2010.08.020

This article presents a method to compute the response of a viscoelastic layered half-space to a moving load when interlayer slip is considered. The Navier equations of equilibrium are solved for each layer in the frequency domain. The solution in the spatial coordinate system is subsequently obtained by means of Fast Fourier Transform and quadrature rules applied to integrable singularities. Following the global solution technique, the developed method compiles all the interface and the boundary conditions within a global matrix and it solves a unique linear system per couple of wave numbers. This method proves to be effective and is validated in an elastic case by comparison with the ALIZE-LCPC software that implements the Burmister axisymmetric solution. The influence of the interface sliding condition on the response of a layered viscoelastic medium is studied through an application to pavement structures. In this application, the effect of the load speed on vertical and horizontal profiles of the longitudinal strain and the normal stress is analyzed. It is shown, inter alia, that the maximum extension in the medium is not systematically observed at the location of an interface and that, as expected, low speeds and interlayer slip are more damaging to the structure when either a strain or a stress criterion is considered.