Utilização do sistemas MEDINA e LVECD para análise de pavimentos: avaliações dos níveis de tráfego e espessuras da camada de concreto asfáltico

Abstract

Aware of the frequent recurrence of fatigue cracks on Brazilian asphalt pavements and that the current design method does not include such a phenomenon, DNIT presented MeDiNa, which is a software with the potential to become the new national design method that was conceived to combine pavement mechanics with practicality, not requiring such complex laboratory tests. This study seeks to compare the results of MeDiNa with those from the LVECD software, which is based on the Viscoelastic Continuous Damage and calculates the damage of the asphalt concrete layer taking into consideration the viscoelastic properties of the mixture. In order to compare them, different traffic levels and different pavement configurations were simulated being chosen as a reference structure monitored by UFSM since 2013, in which the pavement structure, traffic and the cracked area curve are known and thus it is possible to have an idea of the accuracy of both. Based on the observations made, the two computer programs made predictions consistent with those found in the field surveys. However, for some cases considered and within the limitations applied to this study there are significant differences in the predictions of cracked area between LVECD and MeDiNa, especially for high traffic levels. In addition, the asphalt concrete thickness proved to be extremely important in cracked area expected and consequently in the number of possible loads requests on the pavement until its fatigue failure.