Towards an understanding of the structural performance of future electrified roads: a finite element simulation study

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, many novel technologies are under investigations for making our road infrastructure function beyond providing mobility and embrace other features that can promote the sustainability development of road transport sector. These new roads are often referred to as multifunctional or ‘smart’ roads. Focus in this paper is given to the structural aspects of a particular smart road solution called electrified road or ‘eRoad’, which is based on enabling the inductive power transfer technology to charge electric vehicles dynamically. Specifically, a new mechanistic-based methodology is firstly presented, using a finite element simulation and an advanced constitutive model for the asphalt concrete materials. Based on this, the mechanical responses of a potential eRoad structure under typical traffic loading conditions are predicted and analysed thoroughly. The main contributions of this paper include thus: (1) introducing a new methodology for analysing a pavement structure purely based on mechanistic principles; (2) utilising this methodology for the investigation of a future multifunctional road pavement structure, such as an eRoad; and (3) providing some practical guidance for an eRoad pavement design and the implementation into practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Electrified roads
• asphalt materials
• constitutive modelling
• finite element simulation
• pavement damage

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all partners within FABRIC for their cooperation and valuable contribution. Additionally, the first author gratefully acknowledges the scholarship support from China Scholarship Council (CSC) and the last author would like to thank the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) for the Grant C037200 under which support the constitutive model was developed.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Union under the FABRIC project, which is supported and co-funded by the European Union in the Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration [grant number 605405]. FABRIC is also supported by EUCAR (European Council for Automotive R&D) and ERTICO-ITS Europe.