Mechanical behaviour analysis of the asphalt pavement with a novel prefabricated concrete base utilising small-scale model experiments

A novel prefabricated road base stands out for its high strength and rapid construction. The cost and difficulty of full-scale experiments are high, which poses obstacles to the mechanical behaviour analysis of prefabricated base asphalt pavements. This study employs small-scale model experiments to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the novel prefabricated base pavement. Firstly, a 1/4-scale experimental method of prefabricated base asphalt pavement based on the similarity theory was proposed and verified. Secondly, the mechanical properties of the prefabricated base pavement under various loads and pavement combinations were analysed, leading to design recommendations. Lastly, the load transfer capabilities of mortar during various curing stages were explored to determine the traffic opening time. The findings suggest that the optimal choice for the prefabricated base asphalt pavements would be those with a precast block modulus of 28 GPa, coupled with a subbase thickness of at least 300 mm. Light and medium vehicles can be allowed to pass after the curing time of prefabricated base course is over 3 days.