Optimization of Operating Parameters of the Asphalt-Paver Vibration-Screed System in Improving Compaction Efficiency and Pavement Quality for Driving Vehicle Performance

Abstract

The operating parameters of the asphalt-paver vibration-screed system (AP-VSS) including the excitation frequencies of the tampers and vibratory screed (ft and fs ) and the angular deviations of the tampers (α 1 and α 2) affect not only the pavement quality but also compaction efficiency. Based on the dynamic model of the AP-VSS and the interaction model of the tamper and hot-mixed asphalt, the experimental and numerical simulation studies of AP-VSS are performed to analyze in detail the influence of operating parameters of the AP-VSS on AP-VSS pavement quality and compaction efficiency. The maximum value of the root-mean-square acceleration (ar.m.s ) of the AP-VSS and the maximum value of the root-mean-square compaction force (Fr.m.s ) of the tampers are selected as the objective functions. The experimental and simulation results indicate that by using the AP-VSS design parameters, the pavement quality and compaction efficiency of the AP-VSS are quite low. To enhance the AP-VSS performance, the operation parameters are then optimized by the multi-objective optimization algorithm. The optimal result shows that the compression energy of the tampers and hot-mixed asphalt interaction is greatly increased by 36.2% in comparison without the optimization. Concurrently, both the values of ar.m.s and Fr.m.s are also increased and uniformly distributed over the length of the screed floor and surface of the hot-mixed asphalt in comparison without the optimization. Therefore, the pavement quality and compaction efficiency of the AP-VSS are remarkably improved.