Effects of Asphalt-Mixture Characteristics and Vehicle Speed on Fuel-Consumption Excess Using Finite-Element Modeling
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 143, Issue 9
Abstract
The effects of pavement type on fuel consumption have received considerable attention in recent years, yet the influence of asphalt mixes characteristics and vehicle speed on fuel consumption excess has not been evaluated. This paper evaluates the effects of asphalt concrete (AC) characteristics and vehicle speed on fuel consumption excess using a three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) approach. Finite-element modeling is used to simulate three flexible pavements typically used for low, medium, and high traffic volume. The effects of AC mixes with different binders and varying percentages (0, 15, and 40%) of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) on fuel consumption excess are evaluated. The FE models are validated based on field stress and strain measurements obtained from the Louisiana Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF). Energy dissipation is calculated for the whole FE model due to materials’ viscous properties and is used as an input in fuel consumption estimation. Results indicate that fuel consumption due to energy dissipation constitutes only a very small fraction of the total vehicle fuel consumption. Nevertheless, pavements with the stiffer mix, i.e., the mixes with high percentage of RAP, consume less energy. Therefore fuel savings can be expected when increasing the stiffness of AC layers using RAP materials. Fuel consumption excess is lowest at the highest speed and increases with decreasing speed. The fuel consumption excess is higher for pavements with greater thickness of the AC layer, indicating a noticeable impact of AC thickness on fuel consumption excess.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC). The contents of this paper do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development or the Louisiana Transportation Research Center.
References
AASHTO. (2015). “Standard method of test for determining dynamic modulus of hot-mix asphalt concrete mixtures.” AASHTO T342-11, Washington, DC.
ABAQUS [Computer software]. Dassault Systèmes, Waltham, MA.
Benbow, E., Iaquinta, J., Lodge, R., and Wright, A. (2007). Investigation of the effects of pavement stiffness of fuel consumption, TRL Limited, Wokingham, U.K.
Brogan, J. J., et al. (2013). “Freight transportation modal shares: Scenarios for a low-carbon future.”, Cambridge Systematics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Dept.t of Energy, Cambridge, MA, 80.
Chupin, O., Piau, J. M., and Chabot, A. (2013). “Evaluation of the structure-induced rolling resistance (SRR) for pavements including viscoelastic material layers.” Mater. Struct., 46(4), 683–696.
Dhakal, N. (2016). “Evaluation and validation of a model to predict the effect of asphalt mixtures, pavement characteristics and vehicle speed on vehicular fuel consumption.” Master thesis, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA.
Elseifi, M. A. (2009). “Analysis of seasonal strain measurements in asphalt materials under accelerated pavement testing and comparing field performance and laboratory measured binder tension properties.”, Louisiana Transportation Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
Elseifi, M. A., Al-Qadi, I. L., Yoo, P. J., and Janajreh, I. (2005). “Quantification of pavement damage due to dual and wide-base tires.” Transp. Res. Rec., 1940(1), 125–135.
Elseifi, M. A., Baek, J., and Dhakal, N. (2017). “Modeling crack initiation and propagation in flexible pavement using the finite element method.” Int. J. Pavement Eng., in press.
Elseifi, M. A., Mohammad, L. N., Ying, H., and Cooper, S., III. (2012). “Modeling and evaluation of the cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures using the semi-circular bending test at intermediate temperatures.” Road Mater. Pavement Des., 13(sup1), 124–139.
European Concrete Paving Association. (2017). “Concrete pavements contribute to decarbonizing of transport.” ⟨https://ec.europa.eu/clima/sites/clima/files/docs/0012/registered/eupave_brochure_en.pdf⟩ (Jun. 15, 2017).
Huang, Y. H. (1993). Pavement analysis and design, 1st Ed., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Louhghalam, A., Akbarian, M., and Ulm, F. J. (2014). “Scaling relationships of dissipation-induced pavement-vehicle interactions.” Transp. Res. Rec., 2457, 95–104.
Lu, T. (2010). “The influence of pavement stiffness on vehicle fuel consumption.” Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K.
Mohammad, L. N., Rasoulian, M., King, B., Martinez, M., and Qi, Y. (2008). “Evaluation of stone/RAP interlayers under accelerated loading.”, Louisiana Transportation Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
National Academic Press. (2017). “Vehicle power demands.” ⟨http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13288&page=78⟩ (Jun. 15, 2017).
NRMCA (National Ready Mixed Concrete Association). (2008). Concrete factsheet, Silver Spring, MD, 13.
Pouget, S., Sauzéat, C., Benedetto, H. D., and Olard, F. (2012). “Viscous energy dissipation in asphalt pavement structures and implication for vehicle fuel consumption.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 568–576.
Zaabar, I., and Chatti, K. (2011). “A field investigation of the effect of pavement surface conditions on fuel consumption.” Proc., 90th Annual Meeting of Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Zaabar, I., and Chatti, K. (2014). “Investigation of the relationship between dynamic load, roughness and fuel consumption.” HVTT13: Int. Symp. on Heavy Vehicle Transport Technology, International Forum for Road Transport Technology, Australia.
Zaniewski, J. P., Butler, B. C., Cunningham, G., Elkins, G. E., and Paggi, M. S. (1982). “Vehicle operating costs, fuel consumption, and pavement type and condition factors.”, Texas Research and Development Foundation, Austin, TX.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 143 • Issue 9 • September 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 24, 2016
Accepted: Mar 29, 2017
Published online: Jul 8, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Dec 8, 2017
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.