Modelo de otimização mecanicista e funcional aplicado ao dimensionamento de pavimentos semirrígidos

Abstract

Road networks are critical for the global transportation of goods and passengers, accounting for the largest share of infrastructure investments. Since pavement design directly impacts the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of pavement, achieving optimal solutions within specific technical and economic contexts is highly desirable. The primary objective of this research was to optimize the structural design of flexible and semi-rigid pavement layers, considering variables such as structural type, layer thicknesses, and material costs. Consequently, the application of optimization techniques has proven to be highly effective in achieving suitable pavement designs. Intelligent search algorithms emerge as valuable tools in the quest for the "ideal project," maximizing benefits while minimizing pavement construction costs. This technique was implemented by means of the free software and numerical computation platform Octave, integrating mechanistic-empirical, functional, and economic approaches to optimize pavement layer thicknesses. The ELSYM5 software served as a specialized subroutine for calculating critical stresses and strains in the pavement. These analysis results were evaluated using performance prediction models to estimate damage and service life. The mechanically suitable pavement structure was also subjected to a performance analysis of Roughness (International Roughness Index – IRI). Given that feasible solutions are those with economic viability, i.e., with LCC within the available budget, various optimization techniques were tested and compared to the engineering solution applied in a Monitored Section of BR-101/SE. Among the four optimization techniques tested in this research, evolutionary algorithms stood out as a robust and promising approach, primarily due to their ease of implementation and for providing the most economically viable technically feasible solution, with an estimated 18% LCC savings compared to the solution applied on BR-101/SE.