# Numerical Analysis of Reflective Cracking of Continuous Reinforced Composite Pavement under Multifactor Coupling

Authors: Yuhu Luo; Bo Tian; Kaimin Niu
Journal: Mobile Information Systems
 (2021)

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## Abstract

The occurrence and expansion of reflective cracking is a typical problem associated with the composite pavement that has a proven impact on the life of the continuous reinforced composite pavement. The current research studies a 3D finite element model to preset cracks at the top of the continuously reinforced concrete (CRC) layer’s transverse crack and at the bottom of the asphalt concrete (AC) layer based on the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics in order to explore the factors responsible for the reflective cracking formation mechanism and expansion law. Considering the main stress parameters that affect the formation of reflective cracking (layer bottom tensile stress and vertical shear stress), the most unfavorable load position and the most unfavorable point of the corresponding stress parameter are determined that are then used to calculate the stress intensity factor of the crack tip under the coupling effect of multiple factors based upon the position and point above the crack, by using the confinement integral. The variance analysis of the stress intensity factor of the crack tip under the multifactor coupling effect is conducted via an orthogonal test in order to determine the main factors affecting the formation and development of reflective cracking. Meanwhile, the analysis of single-factor sensitivity is carried out on all these factors, which reveal the real contribution in the formation and expansion of reflective cracking in the continuous reinforced composite pavement. The results show that the most unfavorable load position for reflective cracking is when the load is on the side of the CRC layer’s lateral crack, while the most unfavorable point of the stress parameter is concentrated within the range of the wheel track. At the same time, analysis of multifactor variance and that of single-factor sensitivity show that the cracking mode of reflective cracking in the continuous reinforced composite pavement is a mixed one, dominated by K2 (slip type), supplemented by K1 (open type), and participated by K3 (tear type), whereas the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, instantaneous temperature drop, and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity are the main factors that affect the formation and development of the reflective cracking. Moreover, a better bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer improves the stress intensity factor of the preset crack tip on the bottom of the AC layer.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Crack in a flexible overlay over an existing crack or joint, which usually occurs directly over the underlying cracks or joints. Reflective crack specifically refers to those cracks that arise from underlying Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement joint movement. Reflective cracks can also occur over existing pavement cracks, cement or lime stabilized base, and so on. These usually occur due to breaks or cracks in underlying layers because of movement at the original crack. At this location, stresses concentrate, and the crack propagates and reflects the pavement surface over time. So the problem of reflective cracks is due to the existence of joints (such as joints of ordinary concrete pavement) or cracks (such as semi-rigid base cracks and transverse cracks of continuously reinforced pavement) under the asphalt surface layer, which is subjected to repeated effects of load, temperature, and humidity. There is large tensile stress or vertical shear force on the bottom of the asphalt concrete surface layer, which causes tensile cracks or fatigue damage cracking to appear on asphalt concrete (AC) layer. This kind of crack that develops from bottom to top is called reflective cracking as shown in Figure1.Figure 1
Formation of reflective cracks.Reflective cracking is not only a typical disease of semi-rigid base asphalt pavement but also a typical problem associated with traditional rigid-flexible composite pavement such as AC layer overlay of old cement concrete pavement or Portland cement concrete and asphalt concrete (PCC-AC) composite pavement. In the continuous reinforced composite pavement (referred to as “CRC-AC composite pavement”), the AC layer greatly improves the stress condition of the CRC layer enhancing the load stress and temperature stress thresholds, so the service performance of the road surface including antiskid performance, noise and driving comfort, and so on is greatly improved. Therefore, the CRC-AC composite pavement takes advantage of the AC layer’s driving comfort and ease of maintenance, and the CRC layer’s high load-bearing capacity and good durability. This combination enhances the overall operational life of the pavement. However, the composite pavement structure hurts the AC layer while improving the working environment and stress conditions of the CRC layer. Such adverse effects include surface cracks (top-down cracks) and reflective cracking of the AC layer formed from above and below. Since continuously reinforced pavement is seldom used due to its limited applications, it is generally believed that the AC layer above the CRC layer in the continuous reinforced composite pavement structure is prone to interlayer shear failure and top-down cracks causing the rare appearance of reflective cracks. However, in some domestic continuous reinforced composite pavement projects, some cases of reflective cracking are found locally [1, 2]. The appearance of these reflective cracks gives a clue that under the coupling effect of multiple unfavorable factors, reflective cracking can also occur in the continuous reinforced composite pavement. Since the stiffness difference between the AC layer and the CRC layer is too large, the stress and strain of the AC layer are greatly increased, which leads to the occurrence of cracks, rutting, washboard, shifting, and crowding. At the same time, the deterioration and development of cracks due to the transverse shrinkage of the CRC layer will reflect upwards causing reflective cracking. The appearance of reflective cracking will aggravate the damage of the AC layer and the damage between the AC layer and the CRC layer reducing the service life of the continuous reinforced composite pavement. Therefore, it is necessary to study the factors responsible for the formation and propagation mechanism of reflective cracking in the continuous reinforced composite pavement.A lot of research focusing on the reflective cracking of the AC layer overlay of the old cement concrete pavement or the PCC-AC composite pavement has been conducted resulting in many constitutive models [3], which assisted in effective prevention and control of reflective cracking. Different techniques such as stress-absorbing layer known as “membrane,” anticracking interlayer in the form of graded gravel, geotextile and composite material, and anticracking paste, for instance, polymer anticracking paste and stress-absorbing tape, are proposed [4, 5]. Initial research on the reflective cracking of continuous reinforced composite pavement is based on the analysis of the influence of single factors, ignoring the effects of reflective cracking under the combined action of load, variable temperature, CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity, interlayer bonding state, and so on [6–13]. On the other hand, recent literature on the reflective cracking of continuous reinforced composite pavement suggest complete series of results formed from mechanism research, design methods and design procedures, AC layer mixture design, construction, inspection, and evaluation [14–21]. Based on the theory of fracture mechanics, this study uses the finite element software “Abaqus” utilizing contour integration method to calculate the position of the reflective cracking tip of the continuous reinforced composite pavement under the coupling of multiple factors such as load, temperature change, CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity, and interlayer bonding state. The stress intensity factor is used to statically simulate the development of reflective cracking through the changes of the particular parameter at different crack depths. The results of the numerical analysis provide a reliable reference for the determination of the design parameters of the continuous reinforced composite pavement and the decision-making of the maintenance plan.


## 2. Finite Element Model Parameters

### 2.1. Model Size

The simulation of the three-dimensional finite element model considers the model size of 5 m × 3.75 m×5 m (length × width × height) where a three-plate arrangement is considered as the pavement structure of continuous reinforced composite pavement with cracks. The overall model is shown in Figure2, whereas the division and load arrangement of the three-plate structure are shown in Figure 3. As could be noticed in Figure 4, the reflective crack is present on the bottom surface of the AC layer, and the crack tip position is divided into confines to calculate the crack tip parameters.Figure 2
Calculation model of continuous reinforced composite pavement.Figure 3
Plan of three-slab pavement structure and load loading position.
(a)(b)(c)(d)Figure 4
Schematic presentation of reflective cracking mesh contour integral of continuous reinforced composite pavement.


### 2.2. Load Position

The driving load adopts the standard single-axle double-sided four-wheel axle load where a two-wheel group single-axle load is estimated at 100 kN at 0.7 MPa tire pressure. The study is carried out on four different loading modes, namely load position “L1” that is calculated at the edge position of the longitudinal slab (Figure3(a)), load position “L2” that is calculated at the symmetric position of the centreline of the longitudinal slab (Figure 3(b)), load position “L3” that is calculated at the edge position of the transverse joint (Figure 3(c)), and lastly the side position “L4” that is the symmetrical position of the centreline on one side of the transverse joint (Figure 3(d)).


### 2.3. Material Parameters

The calculation model of the continuous reinforced composite pavement adopts the structural layer of the continuous reinforced composite pavement of Zhangshi Expressway China in which different considered parameter indicators are elaborated in Table1.Table 1
Material parameter table for the calculation model.
Structural layerMaterial typeThickness (cm)Elastic modulus (MPa)Poisson’s ratioAC layer 1AC61,4000.3CRC layerCRC2829,0000.167AC layer 2AC41,4000.3BaseCTB188,0000.25SubbaseGM205000.35Road baseCompacted soil424600.4It must be noted that the reinforcement rate of the CRC layer is 0.6%, while longitudinal reinforcement is Φ16 with 0.195 m spacing. Similarly, transverse reinforcement is Φ14 with 0.6 m spacing and laid at an angle of 60 degrees. The reinforcement is located at 35.7% of the CRC layer thickness (from top to bottom). Moreover, for calculation purposes, the reinforcement is embedded in the concrete slab using beam units and is fully coordinated with the concrete for deformation.


### 2.4. Boundary Conditions

For simplicity of the simulation model, theZ-direction displacement is constrained on the left and right sides of the driving direction, while the bottom surface of the model adopts a fixed support constraint.


### 2.5. Model Parameters

The parameters that can determine the most unfavorable load position for reflective cracking are shown in Table2.Table 2
Material parameter table of the calculation model.
No.Load positionAC thickness (cm)CRC thickness (cm)CRC-crack width (mm)CRC-crack spacing (m)1Load 162810.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.52Load 23Load 34Load 4It is important to note that the size of the considered model (length × width × height) is taken as 5 m × 3.75 m × 5 m with the same pavement structure as illustrated in Table1. Considering 4 different load levels and 7 different crack spacings, the study aggregated to 28 models in total. Initially, the model is studied with an AC layer without preset cracks, that is, temporarily ignoring the factor of reflective cracking.Considering the same pavement structure (Table1), the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio presented in Table 3 refers to the ratio of the length of preset cracks on the bottom surface of the AC layer to the thickness of the AC layer. Similarly, the instantaneous temperature drop refers to the abnormal climate caused for a short period of time usually in the form of a significant temperature drop. Since the load transfer capacity of longitudinal reinforcement in the CRC layer changes very little before the cracks in the CRC layer deteriorate seriously, the load transfer capacity of cracks in the CRC layer mentioned here refers only to the load transfer capacity formed by the embedded lock of aggregate where 100% means the load transfer capacity of cracks just opened is not basically reduced, while 0 means the cracks have been penetrated and the load transfer capacity of aggregate is completely lost making longitudinal reinforcement responsible for the load transfer. For simulation purposes, the load transfer capacity is simulated in the finite element model by adjusting the material parameters in the cracked region of the CRC layer [22, 23].Table 3
Parameters contributing for crack tip stress intensity.
Load positionReinforcement rate (%)CRC-crack width (mm)AC thickness (cm)CRC-crack spacing (m)AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratioInstantaneous temperature drop (°C)CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity (%)L30.6160.50.250081.50.3332050102.50.540100It may also be noted that in previous studies, the crack width of the CRC layer is usually taken as the study parameter, and since it is not direct and accurate to characterize the crack transfer capacity through the crack width, the transfer capacity is directly used as the calculation parameter in the current research work.


### 2.6. Reliability Verification

To verify the reliability of the three-dimensional finite element model of the continuous reinforced composite pavement proposed in this paper, the analytical solution calculated by BISAR3.0 is compared with the calculated value of the finite element model according to the parameters in Table1, that is, without considering the CRC layer reinforcement. The results are presented in Figures 5 and 6. It may be worthy to note that BISAR (BItumen Stress Analysis in Roads computer program) [24] is an industry famous software by Shell International that can calculate stresses, strains, and displacements in any elastic multilayer system as per predefined configurations and material behavior.Figure 5
Comparison result of transverse tensile stress at the bottom of CRC layer.Figure 6
Comparison result of vertical displacement at the bottom of CRC layer.As per the calculation results, the deviation between the calculated value of the three-dimensional finite element model and the analytical solution used in this paper is within 10%. Therefore, the model is considered to be reliable and could be utilized for further calculation and analysis.


## 2.1. Model Size

The simulation of the three-dimensional finite element model considers the model size of 5 m × 3.75 m×5 m (length × width × height) where a three-plate arrangement is considered as the pavement structure of continuous reinforced composite pavement with cracks. The overall model is shown in Figure2, whereas the division and load arrangement of the three-plate structure are shown in Figure 3. As could be noticed in Figure 4, the reflective crack is present on the bottom surface of the AC layer, and the crack tip position is divided into confines to calculate the crack tip parameters.Figure 2
Calculation model of continuous reinforced composite pavement.Figure 3
Plan of three-slab pavement structure and load loading position.
(a)(b)(c)(d)Figure 4
Schematic presentation of reflective cracking mesh contour integral of continuous reinforced composite pavement.


## 2.2. Load Position

The driving load adopts the standard single-axle double-sided four-wheel axle load where a two-wheel group single-axle load is estimated at 100 kN at 0.7 MPa tire pressure. The study is carried out on four different loading modes, namely load position “L1” that is calculated at the edge position of the longitudinal slab (Figure3(a)), load position “L2” that is calculated at the symmetric position of the centreline of the longitudinal slab (Figure 3(b)), load position “L3” that is calculated at the edge position of the transverse joint (Figure 3(c)), and lastly the side position “L4” that is the symmetrical position of the centreline on one side of the transverse joint (Figure 3(d)).


## 2.3. Material Parameters

The calculation model of the continuous reinforced composite pavement adopts the structural layer of the continuous reinforced composite pavement of Zhangshi Expressway China in which different considered parameter indicators are elaborated in Table1.Table 1
Material parameter table for the calculation model.
Structural layerMaterial typeThickness (cm)Elastic modulus (MPa)Poisson’s ratioAC layer 1AC61,4000.3CRC layerCRC2829,0000.167AC layer 2AC41,4000.3BaseCTB188,0000.25SubbaseGM205000.35Road baseCompacted soil424600.4It must be noted that the reinforcement rate of the CRC layer is 0.6%, while longitudinal reinforcement is Φ16 with 0.195 m spacing. Similarly, transverse reinforcement is Φ14 with 0.6 m spacing and laid at an angle of 60 degrees. The reinforcement is located at 35.7% of the CRC layer thickness (from top to bottom). Moreover, for calculation purposes, the reinforcement is embedded in the concrete slab using beam units and is fully coordinated with the concrete for deformation.


## 2.4. Boundary Conditions

For simplicity of the simulation model, theZ-direction displacement is constrained on the left and right sides of the driving direction, while the bottom surface of the model adopts a fixed support constraint.


## 2.5. Model Parameters

The parameters that can determine the most unfavorable load position for reflective cracking are shown in Table2.Table 2
Material parameter table of the calculation model.
No.Load positionAC thickness (cm)CRC thickness (cm)CRC-crack width (mm)CRC-crack spacing (m)1Load 162810.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.52Load 23Load 34Load 4It is important to note that the size of the considered model (length × width × height) is taken as 5 m × 3.75 m × 5 m with the same pavement structure as illustrated in Table1. Considering 4 different load levels and 7 different crack spacings, the study aggregated to 28 models in total. Initially, the model is studied with an AC layer without preset cracks, that is, temporarily ignoring the factor of reflective cracking.Considering the same pavement structure (Table1), the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio presented in Table 3 refers to the ratio of the length of preset cracks on the bottom surface of the AC layer to the thickness of the AC layer. Similarly, the instantaneous temperature drop refers to the abnormal climate caused for a short period of time usually in the form of a significant temperature drop. Since the load transfer capacity of longitudinal reinforcement in the CRC layer changes very little before the cracks in the CRC layer deteriorate seriously, the load transfer capacity of cracks in the CRC layer mentioned here refers only to the load transfer capacity formed by the embedded lock of aggregate where 100% means the load transfer capacity of cracks just opened is not basically reduced, while 0 means the cracks have been penetrated and the load transfer capacity of aggregate is completely lost making longitudinal reinforcement responsible for the load transfer. For simulation purposes, the load transfer capacity is simulated in the finite element model by adjusting the material parameters in the cracked region of the CRC layer [22, 23].Table 3
Parameters contributing for crack tip stress intensity.
Load positionReinforcement rate (%)CRC-crack width (mm)AC thickness (cm)CRC-crack spacing (m)AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratioInstantaneous temperature drop (°C)CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity (%)L30.6160.50.250081.50.3332050102.50.540100It may also be noted that in previous studies, the crack width of the CRC layer is usually taken as the study parameter, and since it is not direct and accurate to characterize the crack transfer capacity through the crack width, the transfer capacity is directly used as the calculation parameter in the current research work.


## 2.6. Reliability Verification

To verify the reliability of the three-dimensional finite element model of the continuous reinforced composite pavement proposed in this paper, the analytical solution calculated by BISAR3.0 is compared with the calculated value of the finite element model according to the parameters in Table1, that is, without considering the CRC layer reinforcement. The results are presented in Figures 5 and 6. It may be worthy to note that BISAR (BItumen Stress Analysis in Roads computer program) [24] is an industry famous software by Shell International that can calculate stresses, strains, and displacements in any elastic multilayer system as per predefined configurations and material behavior.Figure 5
Comparison result of transverse tensile stress at the bottom of CRC layer.Figure 6
Comparison result of vertical displacement at the bottom of CRC layer.As per the calculation results, the deviation between the calculated value of the three-dimensional finite element model and the analytical solution used in this paper is within 10%. Therefore, the model is considered to be reliable and could be utilized for further calculation and analysis.


## 3. The Most Unfavorable Position for Reflective Cracking

The most unfavorable load position is the prerequisite for the calculation of pavement structure mechanics as it can be used to evaluate the mechanical response of the pavement structure in the worst-case scenario. According to the existing literature [9, 10], the most unfavorable load positions are L1 and L4 in Figure 3. Generally, the unfavorable load position is determined based on the CRC layer that is used to judge the tensile stress at the bottom of the layer. However, in the case of reflective cracking, both the tensile stress and vertical shear stress at the bottom of the AC layer need to be considered as both contribute to the reflective cracking. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully determine the most unfavorable load position for the mechanical response parameters to ensure it to be in line with the actual situation.According to the theoretical research and analysis of reflective cracking, the tensile stress and shear stress on the bottom of the AC layer are the main factors of reflective cracking in the AC layer. The relationship between the load loading position and the crack position could be of two types, that is, the normal load when the load is applied directly above the crack and the eccentric load where the load is loaded on one side of the crack. The positive stress at the tip of the crack under the positive load is negative indicating that its stress state is under compression and does not contribute to the propagation of the crack, and thus, it can be disregarded. Therefore, the calculations presented in the following text are the results obtained under eccentric load.To simulate the actual response of different stress parameters on the bottom of the AC layer under different crack spacings of the CRC layer, a total of seven crack spacings of 0.5 m, 1.0 m, 1.5 m, 2.0 m, 2.5 m, 3.0 m, and 3.5 m were selected for stress response analysis. According to these crack spacings and four different load positions (i.e., L1, L2, L3, and L4), three-dimensional finite element models for calculation are established where the width of CRC cracks is fixed at 1 mm considering no preset cracks on the bottom of the AC layer. As per the obtained results via the analysis of pavement mechanics, the principle parameters that can cause reflective cracking include longitudinal (transverse) tensile stress denoted byσ11 and σ33, longitudinal (transverse) shear stress denoted by τ31 and τ13, vertical shear stress denoted by τ12 and τ23, and the maximum shear stress represented byτmax. The relationships between the above parameters and the CRC-crack spacing under different load positions are presented in Figures 7–14.Figure 7
σ11_max value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 8
σ33_max value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 9
τ23_max value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 10
τmax value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 11
τ12_max value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 12
τ12_min value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 13
τ13_max value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.Figure 14
τ13_min value of AC layer under different load positions and crack spacing.As depicted in Figures7–14, the longitudinal tensile stress (σ11) and transverse tensile stress (σ33) of the AC layer bottom surface are both small, and the leading role is the shear stress (τ12, τ13, and τ23). All the stresses reach the maximum value under load position “L3,” and most of them reach the maximum value when the crack is 3.5 m. The above stress response values conclude that the stress response at the bottom of the AC layer is still dominated by shear stress. This is different from the characteristics of flexible pavement that is due to the rigid-flexible structure of the continuous reinforced composite pavement and the thinner AC layer. In short, the most unfavorable load position in the reflective cracking of continuously reinforced composite pavement is L3 when the crack spacing is 3.5 m, that is, when the load is loaded on the edge of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) lateral crack.


## 4. The Most Unfavorable Stress Parameters for Reflective Cracking and Their Corresponding Location

After determining the most unfavorable load position and crack spacing of reflective cracking in the continuous reinforced composite pavement, the most unfavorable stress point is to be located in the mechanical response of reflective cracking. The comparison results of the stress parameters affecting the reflective cracking are shown in Figures15 and 16.Figure 15
Lateral comparison of the maximum values of stress parameters.Figure 16
Lateral comparison of the minimum values of various stress parameters under different crack spacings under load level L3.According to Figures15 and 16, the stress parameters of the AC layer, the stress components, and their magnitudes that have a significant impact on the reflective cracking are as follows: τmax＞τ12＞τ13＞τ11.It could be noticed from Figure17 that the disadvantage of reflective cracking in the loading position on the side of the transverse crack of the CRC layer (i.e., about x = 1.75 m), the Z coordinates of the disadvantageous points are 1.29 m, 1.34 m, 1.61 m, 3.15 m, and 3.42 m, which corresponds to the outer edge of the proximal outer wheel (Z = 1.29 m), the middle and bottom of the proximal outer wheel (Z = 1.34 m), the inner edge of the proximal inner wheel (Z = 1.61 m), the outer edge of the distal inner wheel (Z = 3.15 m), and lastly the middle and bottom of the distal outer wheel (Z = 3.42 m). These most unfavorable points are located within the range of the bilateral wheel tracks, which is consistent with the conclusions of previous research results [10, 25].Figure 17
Location of the most unfavorable stress point of reflective cracking under load level L3.


## 5. Stress Intensity Factors at the Most Unfavorable (Crack Tip) Point

According to the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics [26, 27], the cracking modes of cracks are divided into three types, namely, the open type (the stress intensity factor of the crack tip is K1, hereinafter referred to as K1 type), the sliding type (the stress intensity factor of the crack tip is K2, hereinafter referred to as K2 type), and the tear type (the stress intensity factor of the crack tip is K3, hereinafter referred to as K3 type).For the reflective cracking of the AC layer of the continuous reinforced composite pavement, the possible influencing factors are: AC layer thickness, AC layer modulus, CRC layer crack spacing, CRC layer crack width, AC layer crack depth ratio, CRC layer cracks load transfer capacity, instantaneous temperature drop, CRC layer reinforcement ratio, and so on. According to the existing literature and the conclusion of the first round of orthogonal experiments, the influence of the two factors of AC layer modulus and reinforcement ratio on reflective cracking can be ignored. Therefore, AC layer thickness, CRC layer crack spacing, AC layer cracks depth ratio, CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity, and instantaneous temperature difference could be shortlisted as final parameters for orthogonal experiment and variance analysis.


### 5.1. Orthogonal Test Analysis of Reflective Cracking

Orthogonality in general means “uncorrelated,” so an orthogonal model refers that all independent variables in that model are uncorrelated. Orthogonal array testing, therefore, is a black-box testing technique that is a systematic, statistical way of evaluating a model. It is used when the number of inputs to the system is too large to allow for exhaustive testing of every possible input to the system. It is particularly effective in finding errors associated with faulty configuration within the design of new systems.TheK value orthogonal test of reflective cracking adopts the orthogonal analysis table L18(3)7 with 3 levels, 7 factors, and a total of 18 tests considering the model parameters of Table 3. As per the results contributed by Zheng et al. [11], the interlocking effect of aggregates fails when the cracks in the CRC layer are above 1.1 mm, so the load transfer between the cracks is only borne by the longitudinal steel bars. Thus, the width of the cracks is set to 1 mm for the current study with a 0.6% reinforcement ratio. The orthogonal test table is presented in Table 4, while the analysis results are presented in Table 5.Table 4
Orthogonal experiment analysis table (L18(3)7).
AC thickness (cm)CRC-crack spacing (m)AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratioInstantaneous temperature drop (°C)CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity (%)60.50.250081.50.3332050102.50.540100Table 5
Orthogonal test results ofK values of the reflective cracking tip.
Test no.K1K2K3Test 01−47,70548,1043,712Test 028,48224,4746,940Test 0323,09729,58310,938Test 047,82022,9765,429Test 0520,18825,8087,733Test 06−36,41853,27510,373Test 07−2,99126,5158,193Test 0817,25753,20010,375Test 0922,35423,3705,986Test 1022,49529,98110,507Test 11−1,84621,3015,036Test 1238,65654,3317,642Test 1365,61849,3296,396Test 14−3,23633,16911,942Test 158,66522,5775,726Test 1611,54134,67812,819Test 1770,08946,7955,940Test 18−1,87726,8488,406From the orthogonal test results of theK value of the reflective cracking tip in Table 5, it could be noticed that the K3 value of the reflective cracking tip is not small. Under normal circumstances, it is believed that there are no tear-off cracks in the road surface structure, so the K3 value is usually ignored. However, the results in Table 5 testify that although the K3 value is not as large as the values of K1 and K2, yet it plays an important role in the formation of reflective cracking. Therefore, in the continuous reinforced composite pavement, the AC layer’s reflective cracking is dominated by K2 type, while K1 type is auxiliary and K3 type is a mixed cracking mode.In order to ensure the reliability of the model, the analysis of variance is performed as presented in Table6. The analysis lists the factors that have a significant influence on reflective fractures including the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, instantaneous temperature drop, and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity. Among them, the factor that has the most significant impact on K1 is the instantaneous temperature difference, while the factors that influence K2 are CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity and the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, where the impact of the former is greater than the latter. Similarly, the AC layer crack depth ratio is the most influencing factor in the case of K3. The details and significance of all these factors are elaborated in Table 6.Table 6
Variance analysis results of reflective cracking stress intensity factors.
Stress parametersSignificance coefficient (significance levelα = 0.05)AC thicknessK1_max0.660K2_max0.865K3_max0.074CRC-crack spacingK1_max0.741K2_max0.713K3_max0.734AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratioK1_max0.520K2_max0.002K3_max0.000Instantaneous temperature dropK1_max0.016K2_max0.696K3_max0.827CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacityK1_max0.780K2_max0.000K3_max0.103


### 5.2. Single-Factor Analysis ofK Value of Reflective Cracking

A single-factor analysis and comparison of the values ofK1 and K2 are performed by considering the most unfavorable point as listed in Figure 17, to determine the factors that account for the lead and the analysis demonstrated AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, instantaneous temperature drop, and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity to be the most influencing. As depicted in Figure 18, the confinement point numbers 79, 77, 63, 25, and 11 correspond to the unfavorable points within the double-sided wheel track range, that is, when Z = 1.29 m, 1.34 m, 1.61 m, 3.15 m, and 3.42 m. The corresponding positions are the outer edge of the proximal outer wheel (Z = 1.29 m), the middle and bottom of the proximal outer wheel (Z = 1.34 m), the inner edge of the proximal inner wheel (Z = 1.61 m), the outer edge of the distal inner wheel (Z = 3.15 m), and the center and bottom of the distal outer wheel (Z = 3.42 m).Figure 18
Relationship betweenK1 values and AC layer thickness at different contour points.From Figures18 and 19, it could be judged that the K1 and K2 values are not very sensitive to the thickness of the AC layer, which is consistent with the results of the analysis of variance. However, in terms of data comparison, the K value for a larger AC layer is also large, so both are directly related. In the case of the same crack depth ratio, the thicker the AC layer is, the closer the crack tip will be to the lower surface of the AC layer, so the larger the K value is, In short, for preventing reflective cracking, simply increasing the thickness of the AC layer is not the best solution.Figure 19
Relationship betweenK2 values and AC thickness at different contour points.As depicted in Figures20 and 21, the K1 value is not much sensitive to the crack width of the CRC layer, while the K2 value is relatively more sensitive to the crack width of the CRC layer. It could be noticed that the difference between the value of 0.5 m is within 2% to 5%, while the corresponding K2 value increases by 1.2%, 11%, and 23.5%. Thus, it could be concluded that the width of the CRC crack has a great influence on the reflective cracking. Hence, controlling the width of transverse cracks in the CRC layer of the continuously reinforced composite pavement is an effective measure to reduce the reflective cracking of the AC layer. At the same time, this also indirectly proves the influence of the CRC layer’s load transfer capacity on the reflective cracking.Figure 20
Relationship betweenK1 values and CRC-crack width at different contour points.Figure 21
Relationship betweenK2 values and CRC-crack width at different contour points.From Figures22 and 23, it is revealed that the values of K1 and K2 are much sensitive to the length of the preset cracks at the bottom of the AC layer. Compared with point #11, when the preset fracture depth ratio is 0.33 and 0.5, the K1 value is 16% and 45% higher than the depth ratio of 0.25, and the corresponding K2 value is increased by 13% and 40%, respectively.Figure 22
Relationship betweenK1 values and AC preset-crack depth ratio at different contour points.Figure 23
The relationship betweenK2 values and AC preset-crack depth ratio at different contour points.From Figures24 and 25, it is evident that the value of K1 is relatively more sensitive to the instantaneous temperature difference as compared to the value of K2. Comparing with point #11, when the instantaneous temperature difference is 10°C, 20°C, and 30°C, the K1 value at 0°C increases by 24%, 49%, and 73%, respectively. Hence, the instantaneous temperature drop is an important factor in the formation of open reflective cracking.Figure 24
Relationship betweenK1 values and instantaneous temperature difference at different contour points.Figure 25
Relationship betweenK2 values and instantaneous temperature difference at different contour points.From Figures26 and 27, it could be noticed that the value of K1 is more sensitive to the load transfer capacity of the cracks in the CRC layer as compared to the value of K2. The 0% curve in these figures means that the load transfer capacity of the cracked concrete in the CRC layer is 0, and only the steel bars are responsible for the load transfer. Consider point #11, where the CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity is 100% and 70%, respectively, the corresponding K1 value is reduced from 15.5% to 6.5% than the 40% load transfer capacity value, while the corresponding K2 value is reduced insignificantly. Similarly, when the load transfer capacity is 0%, the K1 and K2 values are 67% and 59%, respectively, much higher than the 40% load transfer capacity. In addition, when the load transfer capacity of the cracks in the CRC layer is increased from 100% to 0% (only the steel), the corresponding values of K1 and K2 increase by 72% and 59%, respectively.Figure 26
Relationship betweenK1 values and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity at different contour points.Figure 27
The relationship betweenK2 values and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity at different contour points.The interlayer state between the AC layer and the CRC layer in the continuous reinforced composite pavement is also an important factor affecting the structural force. To explore the said relation among the AC layer and the CRC layer, the interlayer bonding state is simulated by setting the tangential friction coefficient “f” between the AC layer and the CRC layer [4, 28]. Considering constant values of the aforementioned parameters in the calculation model, f = 0 would mean that the interlayer is completely smooth, while f = 1 means that the layers are continuous. Moreover, f = 0 to 1 means that the layers are in partial contact, while the AC layer and the CRC layer are bound when f = 100. In the calculation, “f” takes the four working conditions of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and interlayer binding (Tie) for calculation and analysis. The results are presented in Figures 28 and 29:Figure 28
Relationship betweenK1 and bonding state between AC and CRC at different contour points.Figure 29
The relationship betweenK2 and bonding state between AC and CRC at different contour points.As depicted in Figures28 and 29, the values of both K1 and K2 are sensitive to the bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer. The values of K1 and K2 increase as the state of the interlayer changes from smooth to continuous, so a better bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer will increase the stress intensity factor of the crack tip making the reflective cracking easier to occur. These findings are also consistent with the research of Tao [29], hence supporting the study.In short, the single-factor analysis and comparison of the most unfavorable point, the reflective cracking at the bottom of the AC layer is affected by theK value in addition to the width of the transverse cracks in the CRC layer, the instantaneous temperature difference, and the load transfer capacity of the CRC cracks. Moreover, a better bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer will help the transverse cracks of the CRC layer reflect upward and form reflective cracking.


## 5.1. Orthogonal Test Analysis of Reflective Cracking

Orthogonality in general means “uncorrelated,” so an orthogonal model refers that all independent variables in that model are uncorrelated. Orthogonal array testing, therefore, is a black-box testing technique that is a systematic, statistical way of evaluating a model. It is used when the number of inputs to the system is too large to allow for exhaustive testing of every possible input to the system. It is particularly effective in finding errors associated with faulty configuration within the design of new systems.TheK value orthogonal test of reflective cracking adopts the orthogonal analysis table L18(3)7 with 3 levels, 7 factors, and a total of 18 tests considering the model parameters of Table 3. As per the results contributed by Zheng et al. [11], the interlocking effect of aggregates fails when the cracks in the CRC layer are above 1.1 mm, so the load transfer between the cracks is only borne by the longitudinal steel bars. Thus, the width of the cracks is set to 1 mm for the current study with a 0.6% reinforcement ratio. The orthogonal test table is presented in Table 4, while the analysis results are presented in Table 5.Table 4
Orthogonal experiment analysis table (L18(3)7).
AC thickness (cm)CRC-crack spacing (m)AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratioInstantaneous temperature drop (°C)CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity (%)60.50.250081.50.3332050102.50.540100Table 5
Orthogonal test results ofK values of the reflective cracking tip.
Test no.K1K2K3Test 01−47,70548,1043,712Test 028,48224,4746,940Test 0323,09729,58310,938Test 047,82022,9765,429Test 0520,18825,8087,733Test 06−36,41853,27510,373Test 07−2,99126,5158,193Test 0817,25753,20010,375Test 0922,35423,3705,986Test 1022,49529,98110,507Test 11−1,84621,3015,036Test 1238,65654,3317,642Test 1365,61849,3296,396Test 14−3,23633,16911,942Test 158,66522,5775,726Test 1611,54134,67812,819Test 1770,08946,7955,940Test 18−1,87726,8488,406From the orthogonal test results of theK value of the reflective cracking tip in Table 5, it could be noticed that the K3 value of the reflective cracking tip is not small. Under normal circumstances, it is believed that there are no tear-off cracks in the road surface structure, so the K3 value is usually ignored. However, the results in Table 5 testify that although the K3 value is not as large as the values of K1 and K2, yet it plays an important role in the formation of reflective cracking. Therefore, in the continuous reinforced composite pavement, the AC layer’s reflective cracking is dominated by K2 type, while K1 type is auxiliary and K3 type is a mixed cracking mode.In order to ensure the reliability of the model, the analysis of variance is performed as presented in Table6. The analysis lists the factors that have a significant influence on reflective fractures including the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, instantaneous temperature drop, and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity. Among them, the factor that has the most significant impact on K1 is the instantaneous temperature difference, while the factors that influence K2 are CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity and the AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, where the impact of the former is greater than the latter. Similarly, the AC layer crack depth ratio is the most influencing factor in the case of K3. The details and significance of all these factors are elaborated in Table 6.Table 6
Variance analysis results of reflective cracking stress intensity factors.
Stress parametersSignificance coefficient (significance levelα = 0.05)AC thicknessK1_max0.660K2_max0.865K3_max0.074CRC-crack spacingK1_max0.741K2_max0.713K3_max0.734AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratioK1_max0.520K2_max0.002K3_max0.000Instantaneous temperature dropK1_max0.016K2_max0.696K3_max0.827CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacityK1_max0.780K2_max0.000K3_max0.103


## 5.2. Single-Factor Analysis ofK Value of Reflective Cracking

A single-factor analysis and comparison of the values ofK1 and K2 are performed by considering the most unfavorable point as listed in Figure 17, to determine the factors that account for the lead and the analysis demonstrated AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio, instantaneous temperature drop, and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity to be the most influencing. As depicted in Figure 18, the confinement point numbers 79, 77, 63, 25, and 11 correspond to the unfavorable points within the double-sided wheel track range, that is, when Z = 1.29 m, 1.34 m, 1.61 m, 3.15 m, and 3.42 m. The corresponding positions are the outer edge of the proximal outer wheel (Z = 1.29 m), the middle and bottom of the proximal outer wheel (Z = 1.34 m), the inner edge of the proximal inner wheel (Z = 1.61 m), the outer edge of the distal inner wheel (Z = 3.15 m), and the center and bottom of the distal outer wheel (Z = 3.42 m).Figure 18
Relationship betweenK1 values and AC layer thickness at different contour points.From Figures18 and 19, it could be judged that the K1 and K2 values are not very sensitive to the thickness of the AC layer, which is consistent with the results of the analysis of variance. However, in terms of data comparison, the K value for a larger AC layer is also large, so both are directly related. In the case of the same crack depth ratio, the thicker the AC layer is, the closer the crack tip will be to the lower surface of the AC layer, so the larger the K value is, In short, for preventing reflective cracking, simply increasing the thickness of the AC layer is not the best solution.Figure 19
Relationship betweenK2 values and AC thickness at different contour points.As depicted in Figures20 and 21, the K1 value is not much sensitive to the crack width of the CRC layer, while the K2 value is relatively more sensitive to the crack width of the CRC layer. It could be noticed that the difference between the value of 0.5 m is within 2% to 5%, while the corresponding K2 value increases by 1.2%, 11%, and 23.5%. Thus, it could be concluded that the width of the CRC crack has a great influence on the reflective cracking. Hence, controlling the width of transverse cracks in the CRC layer of the continuously reinforced composite pavement is an effective measure to reduce the reflective cracking of the AC layer. At the same time, this also indirectly proves the influence of the CRC layer’s load transfer capacity on the reflective cracking.Figure 20
Relationship betweenK1 values and CRC-crack width at different contour points.Figure 21
Relationship betweenK2 values and CRC-crack width at different contour points.From Figures22 and 23, it is revealed that the values of K1 and K2 are much sensitive to the length of the preset cracks at the bottom of the AC layer. Compared with point #11, when the preset fracture depth ratio is 0.33 and 0.5, the K1 value is 16% and 45% higher than the depth ratio of 0.25, and the corresponding K2 value is increased by 13% and 40%, respectively.Figure 22
Relationship betweenK1 values and AC preset-crack depth ratio at different contour points.Figure 23
The relationship betweenK2 values and AC preset-crack depth ratio at different contour points.From Figures24 and 25, it is evident that the value of K1 is relatively more sensitive to the instantaneous temperature difference as compared to the value of K2. Comparing with point #11, when the instantaneous temperature difference is 10°C, 20°C, and 30°C, the K1 value at 0°C increases by 24%, 49%, and 73%, respectively. Hence, the instantaneous temperature drop is an important factor in the formation of open reflective cracking.Figure 24
Relationship betweenK1 values and instantaneous temperature difference at different contour points.Figure 25
Relationship betweenK2 values and instantaneous temperature difference at different contour points.From Figures26 and 27, it could be noticed that the value of K1 is more sensitive to the load transfer capacity of the cracks in the CRC layer as compared to the value of K2. The 0% curve in these figures means that the load transfer capacity of the cracked concrete in the CRC layer is 0, and only the steel bars are responsible for the load transfer. Consider point #11, where the CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity is 100% and 70%, respectively, the corresponding K1 value is reduced from 15.5% to 6.5% than the 40% load transfer capacity value, while the corresponding K2 value is reduced insignificantly. Similarly, when the load transfer capacity is 0%, the K1 and K2 values are 67% and 59%, respectively, much higher than the 40% load transfer capacity. In addition, when the load transfer capacity of the cracks in the CRC layer is increased from 100% to 0% (only the steel), the corresponding values of K1 and K2 increase by 72% and 59%, respectively.Figure 26
Relationship betweenK1 values and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity at different contour points.Figure 27
The relationship betweenK2 values and CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity at different contour points.The interlayer state between the AC layer and the CRC layer in the continuous reinforced composite pavement is also an important factor affecting the structural force. To explore the said relation among the AC layer and the CRC layer, the interlayer bonding state is simulated by setting the tangential friction coefficient “f” between the AC layer and the CRC layer [4, 28]. Considering constant values of the aforementioned parameters in the calculation model, f = 0 would mean that the interlayer is completely smooth, while f = 1 means that the layers are continuous. Moreover, f = 0 to 1 means that the layers are in partial contact, while the AC layer and the CRC layer are bound when f = 100. In the calculation, “f” takes the four working conditions of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and interlayer binding (Tie) for calculation and analysis. The results are presented in Figures 28 and 29:Figure 28
Relationship betweenK1 and bonding state between AC and CRC at different contour points.Figure 29
The relationship betweenK2 and bonding state between AC and CRC at different contour points.As depicted in Figures28 and 29, the values of both K1 and K2 are sensitive to the bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer. The values of K1 and K2 increase as the state of the interlayer changes from smooth to continuous, so a better bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer will increase the stress intensity factor of the crack tip making the reflective cracking easier to occur. These findings are also consistent with the research of Tao [29], hence supporting the study.In short, the single-factor analysis and comparison of the most unfavorable point, the reflective cracking at the bottom of the AC layer is affected by theK value in addition to the width of the transverse cracks in the CRC layer, the instantaneous temperature difference, and the load transfer capacity of the CRC cracks. Moreover, a better bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer will help the transverse cracks of the CRC layer reflect upward and form reflective cracking.


## 6. Conclusions

The findings of the current study are summarized as follows:(1)
For the reflective cracking of continuous reinforced composite pavement, the most unfavorable load position isL3, that is, the load position adjacent to the lateral crack side of the CRC layer. The positions of the most unfavorable points of each stress parameter are all within the range of the wheel tracks on both sides.(2)
The stress components and their magnitudes (τmax＞τ12＞τ13＞τ11) have a significant impact on reflective cracking where the shear stress is the dominant factor, while τ12 is the main controlling parameter.(3)
The most unfavorable “point x” position of the reflective crack is the loading position on the side of the transverse crack of the CRC layer (i.e., whenx = 1.75 m or so), and the Z coordinates of the disadvantageous points are 1.29 m, 1.34 m, 1.61 m, 3.15 m, and 3.42 m corresponding to the range of the double-sided wheel tracks.(4)
The analysis of the variance ofK values reveals that the K2 value of the reflective cracking is generally larger than the K1, while the K3 value is relatively small. This indicates that the cracking mode of the reflective cracking of the continuous reinforced composite pavement belongs to the K2 type (sliding type) as the dominant type whereas K1 (open type) is supplemented and K3 (tear type) participates in the mixed cracking mode under the joint action. However, it is significant to notice that in most of the literature, K3 is totally ignored considering it a minor fraction but the results of the current study testify that for better reliability and precise calculation, the K3 value needs to be properly deliberated.(5)
The factors that have a significant impact on the reflective cracking of the continuous reinforced composite pavement are the AC layer crack depth ratio, the instantaneous temperature difference, and the CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity. Among them, the factor that has the most significant impact onK1 is the instantaneous temperature difference, while the factors that have a significant impact on K2 are CRC-transverse-crack load transfer capacity and AC layer’s preset-crack depth ratio where the former plays a more crucial part. Similarly, the crack depth ratio of the AC layer is the key factor influencing the value of K3.(6)
Through the single-factor sensitivity analysis of reflective cracking, it is also found that the load transfer capacity of the cracks in the CRC layer is also an important factor affecting the reflective cracking at the bottom of the AC layer.(7)
Lastly, a better bonding state between the AC layer and the CRC layer will make it easier for the CRC layer’s transverse cracks to reflect upward.



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*Source: 7065124-2021-10-18.xml*