Numerical analysis of dynamic loads in pavement structures based on the subgrade material of MSWI bottom ash

Abstract

With the rapid promotion of city urbanization, the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is increasing. Incineration can significantly reduce the mass, volume and generate energy at the meanwhile, making it a mainstream approach for recycle of MSW. The process of incineration brings about various benefits, such as good capacity reduction, high quality reduction, effective removal of harmful components, and high efficiency of resource reuse. The utilization of MSWI bottom ash can achieve the purpose of energy conservation, emission reduction and resource recycling. Recently, MSWI has been successfully recycled for many applications, especially in road construction. Many simulation studies have conducted it as substitutable material in subgrade layer, owing to the similarity to traditional mineral aggregate. It is indispensable to develop a resistance as subgrade layer, and the purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of MSWI bottom ash for practical application in subgrade layer. For this reason, an ABAQUS finite element simulation model of pavement structure subjected to dynamic loads has been conducted.