Strain response of hot-mix asphalt overlays in jointed plain concrete pavements due to reflective cracking

Reflective cracks appear in asphalt overlays placed on top of a concrete pavement above the locations of joints and cracks in the concrete slab. This paper presents the results of a finite element study on the response at the bottom of the HMA overlay. The effects of subgrade and subbase strengths, vehicle speed, overlay thickness, and pavement temperature are investigated in order to identify the parameters involved in the deterioration of the overlay. An extrapolation of the strain history curve for various pavement design parameters is presented to estimate the number of load repetitions that lead to bottom–up crack initiation.