Study on the Mechanical Characteristics of Concrete Pavement Corner Detachment and Grouting Rein­ forcement Using the FEM­DEM Coupling Approach

Abstract

Cement concrete pavements have significant advantages in the construction of transportation infrastructure. However, the disease of slab bottom voids affects their performance and service life. In this study, the Finite Element Method-Discrete Element Method (FEM-DEM) coupling method was used to deeply explore the mechanical characteristics of concrete pavement corner voids and grouting reinforcement. First, a discrete element model for corner voids was constructed, and uniaxial compression simulations were carried out to calibrate the mesoscopic parameters of the concrete surface layer and the base course. Subsequently, an FEM-DEM coupling model was established to simulate the mechanical responses of the pavement slab under different working conditions. The research found that when there is a corner void, the cracking load is 75 kN, and the peak load is 96.8 kN. After exceeding the peak load, the cracks expand rapidly. When the strain reaches 0.2, the crack growth slows down. The displacement expands in a triangular shape, and the failure mode is shear failure. After grouting reinforcement, the peak strength increases by 53% to 150 kN, the cracking pressure is 75 kN, the cracks expand rapidly first and then stabilize, and the failure form is rectangular. In addition, the load transfer, crack distribution, force chain distribution, etc., show different laws in the void and reinforced states. The FEMDEM model overcomes traditional numerical limits, precisely simulating structure-void interactions and reinforcing mechanics. It fills a mesomacro research gap, offering new insights for pavement engineering and supporting corner void grouting treatments.OPEN ACCESS Received: 20/05/2025 Accepted: 18/07/2025 Published: 15/12/2025

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