Falling weight impact acceleration-time signals analysis for road modulus detection: Theoretical and experimental investigations

Structural modulus detection is essential for construction and maintenance in road engineering. Falling weight impact loading method has significant strengths in large-scale, continuous, and rapid detection. To provide theoretical support for this, theoretical analysis and falling weight impact experiments were employed in this study to investigate the influence of road structure parameters and falling weight impact parameters on impact acceleration-time signals. First, the applicability of the Hertz model in road detection was analyzed, and theoretical formulas for peak acceleration a max and impact duration t 2 were established, considering the perfectly elastic collision between falling weight and half-space. Second, the influence of layered structures’ properties on impact acceleration-time curves was studied through model box impact experiments. Third, field tests were conducted to study engineering applications. The results showed that the influence patterns were similar in both theoretical and experimental studies, with differences reflected in the time of compression and restitution phases due to the road materials’ viscosity and plasticity. Additionally, in indoor experiments, a max showed an excellent power function relationship with structural layer modulus, with R 2 more than 0.95, and the contribution of each layer’s modulus to a max decreased from top to bottom. Finally, a max and resilient modulus of an old road also followed a good power function relationship, with R 2 around 0.76. This study revealed that a max was recommended for road surface modulus detection based on solid theoretical and experimental support.