STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Each month, or every other month, a student will provide a 1-page illustrated abstract of the research they are currently conducting. This is a wonderful opportunity for the student, for our International Society for Concrete Pavements (ISCP) Members, and for the transferring and sharing technology/research through our concrete paving industry.
The ISCP “STUDENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT” for March 2025 is Anushka Khachi, a Masters in Transportation Engineering at Indian Institute of Technoloogy Gandhinagar (Gandhinagar, India).
BIO:
Anushka Khachi is a Masters student in Transportation Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, India. She is under the supervision of Dr. Sushobhan Sen, who is the Co-Director of Communications and a Board Member at ISCP. Anushka completed her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, India. Her current research focuses on investigating the climate representativeness of a Typical Meteorological Year for long-term temperature predictions in rigid pavements. The aim of her research is to reduce the overall computational time required for simulating temperature profiles in Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement design using a mechanistic-empirical approach, proposing TMY as a viable alternative.
TITLE:
Climate Representativeness of a Typical Meteorological Year for Long-Term Temperature Predictions in Rigid Pavements
Climatic conditions are vital in influencing the performance and longevity of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCPs). The interaction between the concrete pavement and its surrounding environment leads to non-linear temperature distributions, significantly affecting its performance over time. Daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations cause curling due to differential expansion and contraction of the slab’s top and bottom surfaces. During the day, a positive temperature differential leads to downward curling of the slab, promoting bottom-up cracking under traffic loads. At night, surface cooling (negative temperature differential) causes upward curling, increasing the risk of top-down cracking. These non-linear temperature distributions also generate additional eigen stresses, which, along with the curling stresses, greatly contribute to the total stresses within the pavement.
The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) uses the Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model (EICM) to account for climatic influences by predicting hourly temperature profiles for each design iteration throughout the entire design period. However, this approach requires extensive computational time. Alternatively, the Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) dataset offers a more efficient representation of long-term climatic conditions. TMY is basically a representative of the weather data from the past several years. It is constructed from selected representative months across multiple years of historical data, ensuring a close match to long-term climate trends. Despite its extensive use in building energy simulations, TMY has seen limited application in pavement engineering and has not been comprehensively evaluated for JPCP design.
This study aims to bridge this gap by assessing the effectiveness of TMY datasets in predicting temperature profiles in JPCPs across different climatic regions in India. A total of 24 cities, representing diverse climate conditions, were selected for the analysis. For each city, TMY datasets were generated for two time periods: 1962–1991 and 1992–2021, following the TMY3 methodology. The selection of candidate months for the Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) involves comparing Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDFs) for nine daily indices: dry bulb temperatures (mean, maximum, minimum), dew point temperatures (mean, maximum, minimum), wind velocities (mean, maximum), and total global horizontal solar radiation. The candidate months CDF are assessed against long-term monthly CDFs using weighted statistics, with the closest match that satisfies the persistence structures selected for the TMY. Figure 1 illustrates this comparison for February(1962–1991), focusing on total horizontal solar radiation for Chandigarh.
The generated Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) datasets, along with the 30 years of historical data, were used in a one-dimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) model to simulate temperature distributions within the concrete slab and evaluate their effect on pavement performance. The simulations examined four slab thicknesses (150 mm, 200 mm, 250 mm, and 300 mm) to determine how pavement depth impacts temperature variations and stress development. To assess the impact of these variations on pavement performance, temperature profiles were analysed by decomposing them into constant, linear, and non-linear components. Both linear temperature differentials and Critical Eigen Stress Ratios (CESR) were calculated for top-down and bottom-up cracking scenarios, which highlighted additional stresses from non-linear temperature gradients that contribute to pavement fatigue and cracking. Statistical analyses then compared the CESR and linear temperature differentials from the TMY data with historical records.
The comparison between the TMY and 30 years of historical data for the temperature differential distribution is shown in Figure 2(a) and 2(b) for Bottom-Up and Top-Down cracking, respectively. The same for the CESR distribution has been shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) for Bottom-Up and Top-Down cracking. The comparison between Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data and 30 years of historical climate data reveals that TMY accurately captures historical climatic trends, making it useful for temperature calculations in Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP) design. While median temperature differentials and CESR values from TMY closely align with those from historical data, the latter exhibits more extreme values, highlighting TMY’s limitations in capturing extreme conditions. TMY data simplifies analysis and saves computational time, particularly when focusing on average conditions. Furthermore, statistical tests revealed that the time period (whether 1962-1991 or 1992-2021) significantly influences temperature differentials and CESR values for both cracking scenarios. The significant differences in temperature predictions across time periods underscore the importance of considering the appropriate timeframe in design. In contrast, the data type (TMY or historical) only impacts specific cases, especially top-down cracking. These results suggest that while TMY data is suitable for general design, more detailed analyses of long-term data may be required for projects needing precision and consideration of extreme conditions.
ISCP would like to feature a “STUDENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT” each month, or every other month. If you would like to nominate a student, or if you are a student and would like to nominate yourself or a colleague, please send ISCP an email to: newsletter@concretepavements.org
ALL SPOTLIGHTS:
DECEMBER 2021—Inaugural: Katelyn Kosar, PhD Student-Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pitt): www.concretepavements.org/2021/12/14/new-at-iscp-student-research-spotlight/
JANUARY 2022: Aniruddha Baral, Ph.D. Candidate-Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign: www.concretepavements.org/2022/01/15/student-research-spotlight-jan-2022/
FEBRUARY 2022: Jordan Ouellet, Tech, BEng, MASc, PhD Candidate, Teaching and Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: www.concretepavements.org/2022/02/26/student-research-spotlight-february-2022/
MARCH 2022: Sampath Kumar Pasupunuri, Ph.D. candidate, Pavement Engineering-School of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK: https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/03/31/student-research-spotlight-march-2022/
APRIL 2022: Anupam B R, Pursuing his doctorate-Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, India: https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/04/15/student-research-spotlight-april-2022
MAY 2022: Andréia Posser Cargnin, Ph.D. Candidate, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/05/09/student-research-spotlight-may-2022/
JUNE 2022: Charles Donnelly, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/06/24/student-research-spotlight-june-2022/
JULY 2022: Amir Malakooti, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/07/30/student-research-spotlight-july-2022/
AUGUST 2022: Haoran Li, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/08/24/student-research-spotlight-august-2022/
SEPTEMBER 2022: Sumit Nandi, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (Roorkee, India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/09/18/student-research-spotlight-september-2022/
OCTOBER 2022: Eric Ribeiro da Silva, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/10/20/student-research-spotlight-october-2022/
NOVEMBER 2022: Zachary Brody, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/11/18/student-research-spotlight-november-2022/
DECEMBER 2022: Jesús Castro Pérez, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/12/17/student-research-spotlight-december-2022/
JANUARY 2023: Dan King, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University (Ames, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/01/26/student-research-spotlight-january-2023/
FEBRUARY 2023: Kathryn Kennebeck, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/02/28/student-research-spotlight-february-2023/
MARCH 2023: Sinan Kefeli, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University (Ames, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/03/13/student-research-spotlight-march-2023/
APRIL 2023: Niwesh Koirala, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University (Lubbock, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/04/07/student-research-spotlight-april-2023/
MAY 2023: Christian A. Sabillon, Ph.D. Candidate, The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/05/05/student-research-spotlight-may-2023/
JUNE 2023: Saima Yaqoob, Ph.D. Candidate, KTH (the Royal Institutes of Technology) (Stockholm, Sweden): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/06/15/student-research-spotlight-june-2023/
JULY 2023: Ricardo Hungria, Ph.D. Candidate, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/07/11/student-research-spotlight-july-2023/
AUGUST 2023: Megan Darnell, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/08/07/student-research-spotlight-august-2023/
SEPTEMBER 2023: Jitendra Patel, Ph.D. Candidate, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna (Italy): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/09/05/student-research-spotlight-september-2023/
OCTOBER 2023: Omar K. Omar, Ph.D. Candidate, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/10/05/student-research-spotlight-october-2023/
NOVEMBER 2023: Mason Smetana, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/11/07/student-research-spotlight-november-2023/
DECEMBER 2023: Avinash Jha, M.Tech Student, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/12/10/student-research-spotlight-december-2023/
JANUARY 2024: Matthew Sheffield, Ph.D candidate, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/01/13/student-research-spotlight-january-2024/
FEBRUARY 2024: Chintada Chandrasekhar, Ph.D candidate, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (Roorkee, India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/02/08/student-research-spotlight-february-2024/
MARCH 2024: Subham Jain, Ph.D candidate, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (Kanpur, India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/03/08/student-research-spotlight-march-2024/
APRIL 2024: Etienne Beya Nkongolo, Ph.D candidate, University of Missouri Kansas-City (Kansas City, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/04/11/student-research-spotlight-april-2024/
MAY 2024: Shivani Sharma, Ph.D candidate, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (Gandhinagar, India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/05/14/student-research-spotlight-may-2024/
JUNE 2024: Isaac Oyawoye, Ph.D candidate, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/06/16/student-research-spotlight-june-2024/
JULY 2024: Tianzhen Li, Ph.D candidate, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the University of Liverpool (Suzhou, China): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/07/04/student-research-spotlight-july-2024/
AUGUST 2024: Andrés Gabriel César Torres, Ph.D candidate, Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/08/06/student-research-spotlight-august-2024/
SEPTEMBER 2024: Bhabya Thakur, Masters student, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (Gandhinagar, India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/09/21/student-research-spotlight-september-2024/
OCTOBER 2024: Alberto Castillo, PhD student, Purdue University (West Lafayette, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/10/22/student-research-spotlight-october-2024/
NOVEMBER 2024: Salman Amin, MSE student, Youngstown State University (Youngstown, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/11/07/student-research-spotlight-november-2024/
DECEMBER 2024: Lara Guizi Anoni, PhD student, University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil): https://www.concretepavements.org/2024/12/05/student-research-spotlight-december-2024/
JANUARY 2025: Nischal Pokhrel, MSE student, Youngstown State University (Youngstown, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2025/01/11/student-research-spotlight-january-2025/
FEBRUARY 2025: Saranga Premarathna, PhD candidate, Technical University of Delft (Delft, The Netherlands): https://www.concretepavements.org/2025/02/13/student-research-spotlight-february-2025/