A mechanistic modeling framework for prediction and quantitative assessment of frost heave-induced damage in asphalt pavements

Deterioration caused by frost heave appears as cracks, localized upward deformations, or longitudinal waves on the surface of road pavements. Characterization of pavement damage induced by frost heave requires a multiphysics framework coupling a frost heave model with an asphalt material model. In the present study, a thermodynamics-based viscoelastic-viscoplastic model coupled with damage is developed to represent the mechanical response of asphalt materials. Within the proposed approach, damage initiation and evolution are governed by the restored viscoelastic energy. The model is calibrated using results obtained from a series of experimental tests conducted on a specific asphalt mixture. Frost action within the soil is described through a thermomechanical formulation that accounts for the coupled thermal and mechanical processes. In this method, water seepage during the penetration of freezing temperatures into the soil is taken into account by incorporating a porosity evolution function. The proposed framework for capturing frost heave-induced damage in asphalt pavements is applied to a study scenario in which a road passes over a culvert embedded in frost-susceptible soil. The results demonstrate that the framework enables modeling of frost action within the soil, prediction of ground surface deformations, and representation of the resulting damage in the asphalt layer. The results further indicate that increasing the thickness of pavement layers above the frost-susceptible soil significantly reduces uneven frost heave and, consequently, the damage in the asphalt layer. The findings also show that asphalt pavement degradation induced by frost heave progresses at a notably rapid rate.