Comparison of surface layers responses under heavy truck loadings on new and rehabilitated pavement with different interface bond conditions

The integrity and functionality of road pavements are vital for ensuring safe and efficient transportation networks. However, surface layers are prone to various forms of deterioration. This study investigates the responses of two pavement structures—one newly constructed and one rehabilitated—under traffic loading, through experimental tests conducted on an accelerated pavement testing facility and numerical simulations using the Viscoroute©2.0 software. Focus is placed on surface layer behaviour, with an emphasis on understanding the behaviour of interfaces between the asphalt layers. The findings show that the new pavement structure exhibits good bonding and continuous strain distribution, while the rehabilitated pavement structure exhibits partial sliding at the interface and strain discontinuity. For the new pavement structure, the strains are well predicted using a bonded interface, while for the rehabilitated pavement structure, the strains are predicted using a thin elastic interface layer with a low elastic modulus.