Parameter identification of layered systems using moving loads

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Abstract

An elegant approach to evaluate the quality of engineering structures is the Non- Destructive Testing (NDT). In the field of pavement engineering, a promising NDT method for pavement structural evaluation at network level is the Traffic Speed Deflectometer (TSD) test, which can continuously measure the surface response of pavements caused by moving loads at normal driving speeds. However, the wide application of the TSD test has been hindered by the lack of a commonly accepted parameter identification technique to process TSD measurements. To tackle this problem, this dissertation aims to formulate a mechanically correct, numerically accurate, and computationally efficient parameter identification technique specifically for the TSD test of pavements. The developed parameter identification technique is the combination of a theoretical model of the TSD test and a minimisation algorithm. The unknown parameters can be identified by minimising the differences between modelled and measured response of pavements...