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ORIGINAL PAPER
Influence of load distribution profiles on stress fields and stiffness modulus uncertainty in indirect tensile tests: a finite element analysis
1
Laboratory of Material Physics and Subatomic, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofaîl University
2
Department of Transport Infrastructure and Water Resources Engineering, Széchenyi István University,9026 Gyor, Hungary, Hungary
3
Centre d’Études et de Recherche en Ingénierie et Management (CERIM), HESTIM Engineering & Business School, Morocco
4
Civil and Environmental Engineering Laboratory (LGCE),, Mohammadia Engineering School,Mohammed V University, Morocco
5
Optics, Materials and Systems Team, FS Abdelmalk Essaadi University, Morocco
Submission date: 2025-11-02
Final revision date: 2026-03-04
Acceptance date: 2026-05-04
Online publication date: 2026-06-17
Corresponding author
Hicham Mezouara
Laboratory of Material Physics and Subatomic, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofaîl University
Laboratory of Material Physics and Subatomic, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofaîl University
KEYWORDS
Indirect tensile testFinite element analysisMeasurement UncertaintyStiffness modulusAsphalt mixtures
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The precise characterization of mechanical properties is essential to ensure the durability and safety of civil engineering infrastructures, particularly pavements. However, indirect tensile tests (IT-CY) on cylindrical specimens are sensitive to uncertainties related to non-uniform load distributions at the specimen–platen interface, which strongly influence the stress fields and the measurement of the stiffness modulus. This study employs finite element modeling (FEM) using the Abaqus software under the assumption of linear elastic behavior to analyze the impact of three load distribution profiles—uniform, sinusoidal, and parabolic—on the radial, tangential, and shear stress components in cylindrical specimens subjected to diametral compression, with a fixed contact angle of 15°. The simulations reveal significant variations: the uniform distribution generates high stress concentrations (up to 40 MPa in radial stress near the contact zones) and pronounced heterogeneity, thereby influencing the determination of the material’s stiffness modulus. In contrast, the sinusoidal and parabolic profiles promote a smoother stress transition, reducing peak stresses by up to 60% and concentrating the stresses along the vertical diameter. A comparative analysis with experimental results from previous studies supports these observations. Overall, the findings emphasize the critical role of contact conditions in minimizing experimental artifacts and reducing uncertainty in stiffness modulus evaluation. While based on a linear elastic framework, the results provide general mechanical insights that may contribute to the optimization of indirect tensile test protocols and the improvement of pavement design methodologies.
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