Analysis of Data for a Geosynthetic-reinforced Flexible Pavement

Analysis of Data for a Geosynthetic-reinforced Flexible Pavement
Author: Thomas Michael Vick
Publisher:
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2006
Genre:
ISBN:

In the summer of 2005, a geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavement section was constructed in Northeast Arkansas by the University of Arkansas. The pavement section was constructed with seventeen individual test sections (each 15 m [50 ft] long). The first eight sections had an aggregate base coarse that was 25.4 cm (10 in) thick, the last eight sections had an aggregate base coarse that was 15.2 cm (6 in) thick and the aggregate in the center transition section tapered from 25.4 cm (10 in) to 15.2 cm (6 in) thick. There were a total of seven different geosynthetic configurations and a control section for each aggregate base thickness. The outside wheel path was instrumented with earth pressure cells, asphalt strain gages, geosynthetic foil strain gages, T-type thermocouples, and moisture content probes. A data acquisition system was used to acquire the responses to over 2,000 passes of a loaded, single axle dump truck. Over the course of testing, over 800 files of data were generated and processed. A file management and data manipulation process was developed by the author to organize, filter, process, analyze, evaluate, present, and archive the wealth of data into useable formats. The data manipulation procedure, a discussion of the time effort involved, and the difficulties encountered are discussed herein. Additionally, data analysis using Asphalt Institute transfer functions and Miner's hypothesis were employed to empirically evaluate the vehicle load responses acquired in Arkansas. The transfer functions were used to predict the damage induced in terms of alligator fatigue cracking and sub grade rutting. Finally, the results of the empirical rutting analysis were compared to actual field measurements provided to the author. Approximately half of the service life (in terms of rutting) was expended during the test for approximately 25% of the test sections, assuming a 13 mm (0.5 in) failure criterion. Unfortunately, the test site received roughly 70% of the anticipated rainfall. Therefore, the anticipated benefit of the geosynthetics (during the weakest conditions) was not observed, and the potential benefits associated with the geosynthetics were inconclusive. Further testing on this geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavement test section in Arkansas will likely continue in the future.

Mechanistic-empirical Modeling and Design Model Development of Geosynthetic Reinforced Flexible Pavements

Mechanistic-empirical Modeling and Design Model Development of Geosynthetic Reinforced Flexible Pavements
Author: Steven W. Perkins
Publisher:
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2001
Genre: Geogrids
ISBN:

This report provides an appendix for the report with the reference: Perkins, S.W. (2001) Mechanistic Empirical Modeling and Design Model Development of Geosynthetic Reinforced Flexible Pavements: Final Report, Montana Department of Transportation, Helena, Montana, FHWA/MT 01 002/99160 1A, 156p. This report contains output from the software program DARWin for each design example provided in Appendix B of the above referenced report.

Efficient Transportation and Pavement Systems: Characterization, Mechanisms, Simulation, and Modeling

Efficient Transportation and Pavement Systems: Characterization, Mechanisms, Simulation, and Modeling
Author: Imad L. Al-Qadi
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 924
Release: 2008-11-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0203881206

Internationally, significant attention is given to transport sustainability including planning, design, construction, evaluation, safety and durability of the road system. The 4th International Gulf Conference on Roads: Efficient Transportation and Pavement Systems - Characterization, Mechanisms, Simulation, and Modeling, hosted by the University o

Sustainable Engineering

Sustainable Engineering
Author: Arvind Kumar Agnihotri
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2019-04-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9811367175

This volume contains selected papers presented during the International Conference on Environmental Geotechnology, Recycled Waste Material and Sustainable Engineering (EGRWSE-2018). The multidisciplinary articles in this volume discuss environment-friendly technologies and the application of 'smart' solutions and initiatives to improve infrastructure and services, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and conservation of resources. This volume will be of interest to engineers, professionals, and researchers working on improving urban infrastructure and strengthen civic amenities in a sustainable manner.

Evaluation of Mechanisms Governing the Stabilization of Unbound Aggregate Bases by Geogrids in Flexible Pavements

Evaluation of Mechanisms Governing the Stabilization of Unbound Aggregate Bases by Geogrids in Flexible Pavements
Author: Subramanian Sankaranarayanan
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre:
ISBN:

The benefits of using geosynthetics to stabilize the unbound aggregate layers in flexible pavements, in terms of improvement to pavement life or potential decrease in layer thickness, have been well documented. Early research focused on developing ratios such as the traffic benefit ratio (TBR) or the layer coefficient ratio (LCR) to quantify (empirically) the benefits of including geogrids, and for their use in the design of flexible pavements with those geogrids. However, the lack of a mechanistic understanding of geogrid-stabilization and the empirical nature of this data limited their use to the geogrids and pavement materials that were used to develop them. With the proliferation of different geogrid products and pavement materials, the scope of the early research has become limited and attempts to correlate the properties of the geogrids and pavement materials to the improvement in performance of the pavement have not been successful. This study aims to further the understanding of the mechanisms involved in geogrid-stabilization and to identify the mechanistically relevant properties that contribute to this stabilization. Accelerated pavement tests are conducted, using the model mobile load simulator (MLS11), on reduced-scale pavement test sections with and without geogrids for stabilization under controlled, laboratory conditions. The performance of the pavement sections is evaluated by monitoring the deformation of the surface, the internal particle displacements (within the base), and the dynamic increase in stress (within the pavement structure) for increasing traffic volume. The deformation of the surface is obtained by profiling the surface of the pavement at regular traffic intervals using a laser profilometer, designed and built in-house for this study. A unique cost-effective displacement measuring technique is developed and implemented to obtain the horizontal displacement data of particles in the base. The data from the dense array of the particle tracking sensors is used to generate the horizontal displacement field, horizontal normal strain field and shear transfer efficiency plots in the base. The vertical stress distribution is obtained from the earth pressure cells installed within the pavement structure that are monitored for dynamic stress responses with applied traffic. The inclusion of the stabilizing geogrid resulted in reduced rut development, reduced particle displacements within the base and a wider distribution of the applied load for similar traffic volumes in the control and stabilized sections. The improvement in pavement life due to the stabilization of the base by the geogrid is quantified as the traffic benefit ratio (TBR). The TBRs are determined for seven different geogrids from the accelerated pavement tests, and correlated with the most commonly used in-isolation properties of the geogrid (geometric and tensile properties), and interaction properties of the geogrid-base aggregate composite. The TBRs are found to be best correlated to the coefficients of soil-geosynthetic composite stiffness (K [subscript SGC]) obtained from the soil-geosynthetic interaction tests