A FEM Simulation of the Mechanical Interaction between Asphalt Mixture and Geogrid at Micro-Scale

The purpose of this paper is to describe (at micro-scale) the geogrid-reinforced flexible pavement behaviour under a static loading. The finite element technique is used to analyse themechanical interaction between granular particles, asphalt binder and geogrid.The geogrid is the most commonly used geosynthetic product for enhancing the stiffness andstability of traditional flexible pavement and it is beneficial for reducing the rutting damage inpavement. The geosynthetic performance is influenced by geometry, material and its placementinside the pavement layers. Whereas, the asphalt mixture performance is governed by properties ofaggregate (shape, size distribution, etc.), properties of asphalt binder (grading, viscosity, asphaltmodifiers, etc.) and asphalt-aggregate interactions (adhesion and absorption, etc.).Through FEM software (ABAQUS) the microstructure is modelled in 3D. This microstructure ismade up of three different components: spherical particles (aggregates), asphalt binder and one stripof geogrid.