huangyhg

asphalt pavement bearing capacity
i have been hired to confirm that a temporary trailer founded on steel stands will not punch through an asphalt pavement parking lot. intuitively i would expect the bearing capacity of the asphalt concrete to be equal to or higher than the soil beneath, but i need backup to put in my calc. can anyone tell me where i can find such information.

even if the "bearing capacity" of the asphalt is near or exceeds the soil, there will certainly be deformation of the asphalt when it heats up in the summer. i would plan on repairing the asphalt after the trailer is removed.
the current foundation design calls for 8" concrete pads on soil. the owner wants to not use the concrete and just bear on the ashpalt. i have been asked to look into it to make sure that bearing on the ashpalt will work. repairing the ashpalt after the trailer is removed is not a problem. i just want to make sure that the trailer doesn't topple over due to bearing failure.
twinnell:
in your analysis, you should treat the asphalt like soil, not like concrete. since you will be bearing directly on the surface (i.e. no embedment), there could be a bearing failure, not just settlement. you should take this into account in your analysis.
the asphalt is a super viscous liquid rather than a solid, and it will flow somewhat under constant load. this flow is more pronounced when it is hot.
it should be okay for a short period of time, but you need to explain to the client that this is not a predictable situation and that it may sink into the pavment over time.
just to fill everyone in; this is the response i got from a trustworthy local geotech:
truck tires impart about 100psi (14.4ksf to the subgrade). an 18" plate at 4000psf gives you 9 kips per anchor. i don't see any problem putting it on the asphalt and softening shouldn't be an issue with that size plate. you may have to put a few helicals in to handle wind loads though.
thanks for everyones response and i apologize for cross posting.

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