Non-linear micro-mechanical behavior of heterogeneous cement-stabilized macadam

This study aims to examine the internal meso-mechanical behaviour of cement-stabilised macadams subjected to loading damage following water immersion. By constructing a numerical analysis model, the mechanism of water-immersion weakening of the cementstabilised macadam material and the internal micro-mechanical behaviour of the specimen were analysed. The numerical simulation results were compared with laboratory test data. The peak stress error was 2.414 %, whereas the maximum error in the strain corresponding to the peak stress of the specimens with different immersion durations was 3.05 %. By comparing the direction distributions of the normal and tangential contact forces in each stage, it was found that the tangential forces at approximately 0 & DEG;, 90 & DEG;, 180 & DEG;, and 270 & DEG; were much smaller than those at other angles. In the peak stress stage, the normal contact angles between 45-135 & DEG; and 225-285 & DEG; were higher than those at other angles. For model M (mean factor) less than 20, the peak stress was significantly affected and increased as a function of M. When M was greater than 20, the peak stress fluctuated within a small range as a function of M. This study provides a new research method for the study of the structural mechanical effect of pavement structures based on cement-stabilised macadam materials damaged following water immersion.