EverFE rigid pavement three-dimensional finite element analysis tool

The interactive and computational features of EverFE, a new rigid pavement three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) analysis tool, are presented. To date, the use of 3D FE analysis has been hampered by (a) the difficulty of model generation and result interpretation, (b) the inability of many programs to adequately model joint shear transfer due to aggregate interlock and dowel action, and (c) the large computational requirements of conventional solution techniques employed by available programs. The development of EverFE is motivated by the desire to make 3D FE analysis feasible for routine analysis of rigid pavements. The intuitive graphical user interface employed by EverFE, which greatly simplifies model generation and result interpretation, is demonstrated using a sample problem. A novel technique for modeling aggregate interlock joint shear transfer that rationally incorporates nonlinearities is developed and presented, as is a new method for modeling dowel joint shear transfer. The solution strategy employed by EverFE that allows realistic 3D models to be simulated on desktop computers is briefly described, and its performance is presented.