To study the variation law of mechanical response of asphalt pavement structures considering the difference in tensile and compressive modulus. The mechanical comparative analysis of five typical asphalt pavement structures was based on the bi-modulus theory. The results indicates a significant disparity in the critical mechanical responses calculated using traditional linear elastic theory and the bi-modulus theory. The maximum discrepancies in the mechanical responses of inverted, flexible base, and rigid base asphalt pavement structures, calculated by two different methods, amounted to 55%, 33%, and 50%, respectively. Significant transverse tensile strains were observed on the pavement surface across all five asphalt pavement structures. It is recommended that the wheel gap area on the pavement surface should be considered a critical point for checking tensile strain during pavement design. The stiffness and thickness of the base layer have a significant impact on the critical mechanical response of the pavement structure layer. The horizontal transverse tensile stress and tensile strain of the pavement surface increase with the stiffness and thickness of the base layer, while the longitudinal tensile stress at the bottom of the base layer decreases with increased the base layer thickness. It is recommended that the bi-modulus theory could be used to analyze the asphalt pavement structure, and that reasonable control of the thickness and stiffness of the base layer during pavement design can effectively optimize the stress on the pavement structure.