Análisis estructural de pavimentos rígidos a través de métodos no destructivos y aplicación de elementos finitos: vía Cuenca - Molleturo en el tramo Sayausí - Tres Cruces

Abstract

In the present graduation project the structural capacity evaluation of the rigid pavement was carried out with whitetopping rehabilitation of the Cuenca - Molleturo route, in the section Sayausí - Tres Cruces with abscissas 6 + 813 -35 + 800 adopting the backcalculation approach proposed by the AASHTO design guide of 1993 for the structural evaluation of pavements. A simulation of the pavement behavior was also carried out in the Ansys software, to characterize the pavement structure studied. It is presented in the introduction, the background, the scope, the justification and the objectives set for the present work. The importance roads maintenance and rehabilitation is also discussed. Then, in the theoretical framework of the work, the rehabilitation and resurfacing with concrete overlays is addressed where whitetopping rehabilitation is deepened, In addition, the approach of evaluating the structural capacity of pavements, the deflectometry test using the impact deflectometer, the structural parameters that will be obtained by rbackcalculation and a description of the tools that were used are presented. Regarding the applied methodology, it was divided into four phases (i) experimentation, (ii) sectorization (iii) backcalculation and (iv) results analysis. The experimentation phase was developed in three stages: (i) standards to measure deflections in the pavement, (ii) data collection, (iii) raw data storage. The second phase called sectorization is made up of three stages: (i) preparation of the data, (ii) application of the cumulative differences method and (iii) statistical analysis. The third phase of backcalculation has two stages that are: (i) backcalculation by the AASHTO method and (ii) backcalculation through finite elements. From the analysis of the results it can be highlighted that both, the modulus of elasticity of the concrete and the reaction modules of the subgrade obtained through the AASHTO method are within the permitted ranges. The section of the road that has a low base support is the left lane with abscissas 6 + 850 - 14 + 696, the remaining sections qualify with medium to very high support. In addition, through the Ansys software the characterization of all the layers that make up the pavement structure was obtained, remaining all these values within the standardized boundaries, it was also determined that the road has a moderate load transfer efficiency. Finally, as a contribution to the present work, it was carried out to a sensitivity analysis of the variables that influence the design of the pavement and its incidence in the deflection from where it was determined that the variable that generates significant changes in deflections basin is the slab thickness