Primary Results for the First Texas Mobile Load Simulator Test Pad

1997 ◽  
Vol 1570 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dar-Hao Chen ◽  
Ken Fults ◽  
Mike Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Permanent Deformation ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Pavement Condition ◽  
Pavement Distress ◽  
Moisture Contents ◽  
Load Simulator ◽  
The Right ◽  
Falling Weight ◽  
Simulator Test

The pavement behavior under 630,000 axle repetitions from the Texas Mobile Load Simulator (TxMLS) was studied. During the course of TxMLS testing, nondestructive testing and in situ instrumentation (pressure cell, strain gauge, and multidepth deflectometers) were applied to monitor and assess the pavement condition. In addition, pavement distress data, such as measurements of permanent deformation, rutting, and cracking, were collected and analyzed. At the end of 630,000 axle repetitions, the maximum permanent deformation was approximately 22 mm. A forensic study was then performed by cutting a 1.8-m by 3-m trench in the middle of the test pad and three nuclear density gauge (NDG) tests were performed on top of each layer to determine the densities and moisture contents. It was found that the lime-treated gravel base (LTB) layer contributed the most to rutting. The axle-load applications increased the density of the LTB layer in the pit area, which caused the pavement structure to settle and consolidate. The highest rate of rutting was observed at the early stages of loading, between 10,000 and 20,000 axle repetitions. The higher deflections on the left wheelpath as observed from falling weight deflectometer data were probably due to the higher moisture content and the instrumented pit. NDG data showed that the LTB, lime-stabilized subgrade (LTS), and subgrade in the left wheelpath all had higher moisture contents than those in the right wheelpath.

Pavement Distress Under Accelerated Trafficking

1998 ◽  
Vol 1639 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-129
Author(s):  
Dar-Hao Chen
Keyword(s):  
Asphalt Concrete ◽  
Grid Size ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Pavement Distress ◽  
Structural Capacity ◽  
Surface Deflection ◽  
Load Simulator ◽  
Falling Weight ◽  
Asphalt Concrete Pavement

A test pad was closely monitored for a 6-month period, with 640,000 axle load repetitions applied to the test pavement. The load was applied by the Texas Mobile Load Simulator, a full-scale accelerated loading device. Pavement performance data, such as rutting and cracking, were collected at intervals of 0; 2,500; 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; 40,000; 80,000; 160,000; 320,000; and 640,000 axle repetitions. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests were performed at these same data collection intervals to characterize the structural capacity of the pavement system. Although there is a trend indicating that locations with higher FWD deflection result in higher rutting, a unique relation to predict rutting accurately from the surface deflection alone was not found in the study. The back-calculated asphalt concrete pavement moduli were reduced by 50 percent of the original value at the end of 320,000 repetitions. However, the test was not terminated until 640,000 repetitions, when moduli were reduced to 40 percent of the original values. Both FWD deflection and percent of cracked area share the same trend; the left wheelpath had higher initial FWD deflections and later yielded a higher percentage of cracked area. Approximately 50 percent of the wheelpath area was cracked at the end of 80,000 repetitions, as measured by counting the number of cracked squares on a 100 mm by 100 mm grid. However, most of the cracks were hairline cracks. The percentage of cracked area is strongly related to the grid size used. A grid size of 100 mm by 100 mm has been recommended by other researchers and was adopted in this study. Eighty-five percent and 90 percent of the area in the wheelpaths was cracked at the end of 320,000 and 640,000 repetitions, respectively. These numbers are higher than those adopted by the Asphalt Institute, which defines failure as 45 percent cracking in the wheelpath.

Use of Microcracking to Reduce Shrinkage Cracking in Cement-Treated Bases

2005 ◽  
Vol 1936 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Sebesta
Keyword(s):  
Cement Hydration ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Shrinkage Cracking ◽  
Crack Control ◽  
Pavement Distress ◽  
Pavement Damage ◽  
Falling Weight ◽  
Periodic Crack ◽  
Construction Practice

Shrinkage cracking occurs in cement-treated bases because of desiccation and cement hydration; eventually these cracks start to reflect through the pavement surfacing. Although initially considered cosmetic, these cracks open the pavement to water infiltration and increase the likelihood of accelerated pavement distress. Numerous options exist for minimizing the amount of reflective cracks that appear; microcracking is a promising approach. The microcracking concept can be defined as the application of several vibratory roller passes to the cement-treated base at a short curing stage, typically after 1 to 3 days, to create a fine network of cracks. In addition to the microcracked test sites, the contractor constructed moist-cured, dry-cured, and asphalt membrane–cured sites for comparison. Researchers used falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests to control the microcracking process, periodic crack surveys to monitor crack performance, and FWD tests through time to track base moduli. Microcracking proved quite effective at reducing shrinkage cracking problems in the base; applying the procedure with three passes of the roller after 2 to 3 days of curing resulted in the best performance. In addition, researchers observed that, without microcracking, excessively high cement contents resulted in problematic cracking in the base even if they were cured according to good construction practice. Microcracking did not result in pavement damage or diminished inservice modulus; thus, microcracking should be considered a viable and inexpensive option to incorporate shrinkage crack control into the construction of cement-treated bases.

scholarly journals Application of FWD data in developing dynamic modulus master curves of in-service asphalt layers

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 661-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nader SOLATIFAR ◽  
Amir KAVUSSI ◽  
Mojtaba ABBASGHORBANI ◽  
Henrikas SIVILEVIČIUS
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Modulus ◽  
Master Curve ◽  
Asphalt Pavements ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Master Curves ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
Design Guide ◽  
Falling Weight

This paper presents a simple method to determine dynamic modulus master curve of asphalt layers by con­ducting Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) for use in mechanistic-empirical rehabilitation. Ten new and rehabilitated in-service asphalt pavements with different physical characteristics were selected in Khuzestan and Kerman provinces in south of Iran. FWD testing was conducted on these pavements and core samples were taken. Witczak prediction model was used to predict dynamic modulus master curves from mix volumetric properties as well as the bitumen viscosity characteristics. Adjustments were made using FWD results and the in-situ dynamic modulus master curves were ob­tained. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method, the results were compared with those obtained by us­ing the developed procedure of the state-of-the-practice, Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). Re­sults showed the proposed method has several advantages over MEPDG including: (1) simplicity in directly constructing in-situ dynamic modulus master curve; (2) developing in-situ master curve in the same trend with the main predicted one; (3) covering the large differences between in-situ and predicted master curve in high frequencies; and (4) the value obtained for the in-situ dynamic modulus is the same as the value measured by the FWD for a corresponding frequency.

scholarly journals Assessment Of Designed And Measured Mechanistic Parameters Of Concrete Pavement Foundation

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-57
Author(s):  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Pavana Vennapusa ◽  
David Joshua White
Keyword(s):  
California Bearing Ratio ◽  
Cone Penetrometer ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
In Situ Tests ◽  
Target Value ◽  
Dynamic Cone Penetrometer ◽  
Support Conditions ◽  
Falling Weight ◽  
Pavement Foundation

There are plenty of in situ tests available to examine pavement foundation performance regarding stiffness and support conditions. This study evaluates several in situ tests of the stiffness and support conditions of concrete pavement foundation layers. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the outputs from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and Falling Weight Deflectometer tests. The California Bearing Ratio from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and the deflection data from Falling Weight Deflectometer tests were correlated to the design parameter – modulus of subgrade reaction k through correlations employed in pavement design manuals. Three methods for obtaining the k values were conducted, with the intent to evaluate which method provides the results most similar to the target value and whether the studied correlations are reliable. The back-calculated k values from Falling Weight Deflectometer deflections and the weak layer California Bearing Ratio correlated k values based on the Portland Cement Association method were close to the target value, while the California Bearing Ratio empirically correlated k based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials method presented values significantly higher than the target value. Those previously reported correlations were likely to overestimate the k values based on subgrade California Bearing Ratio values.

Application of Falling Weight Deflectometer Data for Analysis of Superheavy Loads

1996 ◽  
Vol 1540 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dar-Hao Chen ◽  
Emmanuel Fernando ◽  
Michael Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Pavement Condition ◽  
Percent Confidence Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Transport Vehicle ◽  
Pavement Damage ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Falling Weight ◽  
Surface Deflections

Permitting superheavy loads may increase the rate of pavement damage and the cost of maintenance. An analysis of a proposed superheavy load route (FM519) to evaluate the potential pavement damage caused by a planned superheavy load move is presented. Falling weight deflection (FWD) tests and backcalculations of layer moduli were performed on the FM519. FWD tests and backcalculation of layer moduli were performed on the pavement before and after the superheavy load was moved. ELSYM5 and BISAR were used to evaluate the pavement responses using the backcalculated layer moduli from FWD data. The predictions of surface deflections from ELSYM5 and BISAR were close to (within 10 percent of) the measured deflections from FWD tests. The FWD data and analyses show that the existing pavement structure is adequate for the planned superheavy load move. Finally, the permit was issued with the condition that the transport vehicle should be kept within the travel lanes and away from the shoulder whenever possible. FWD tests were conducted after the superheavy load move and comparisons with before superheavy load move were made. T-tests were performed to check for significant difference at the 95 percent confidence level. T-tests showed that there is no significant difference between before and after superheavy load move. Also, no significant distresses due to this superheavy load were observed after the move, and the pavement condition is consistent with the analysis performed to issue the permit.

Relationship Between Backcalculated and Laboratory-Measured Resilient Moduli of Unbound Materials

2003 ◽  
Vol 1849 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo W. Flintsch ◽  
Imad L. Al-Qadi ◽  
Youngjin Park ◽  
Thomas L. Brandon ◽  
Alexander Appea
Keyword(s):  
Resilient Modulus ◽  
Shift Factor ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Structural Capacity ◽  
Bulk Stress ◽  
Stress Dependent ◽  
Falling Weight ◽  
Virginia Smart Road

The resilient moduli of an unbound granular subbase (used at the Virginia Smart Road) obtained from laboratory testing were compared with those backcalculated from in situ falling weight deflectometer deflection measurements. Testing was performed on the surface of the finished subgrade and granular subbase layer shortly after construction. The structural capacity of the constructed subgrade and the depth to a stiff layer were computed for 12 experimental sections. The in situ resilient modulus of the granular subbase layer (21-B) was then back-calculated from the deflections measured on top of that layer. The back-calculated layer moduli were clearly stress-dependent, showing an exponential behavior with the bulk stress in the center of the layer. Resilient modulus test results of laboratory-compacted specimens confirmed the stress dependence of the subbase material modulus. Three resilient modulus models were fitted to the data. Although all three models showed good coefficients of determination ( R2 > 90%), the K-θ model was selected because of its simplicity. The correlation between field-backcalculated and laboratory-measured resilient moduli was found to be strong. However, when the stress in the middle of the layer was used in the K-θ model, a shift in the resilient modulus, θ, was observed. This finding suggests that a simple shift factor could be used for the range of stress values considered.

The Use of the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer for Quality Control of Compaction Operations

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 49-64
Author(s):  
Moshe Livneh ◽  
Noam A. Livneh
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Silty Sand ◽  
Granular Soils ◽  
Cone Penetrometer ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Falling Weight Deflectometer ◽  
Dynamic Cone Penetrometer ◽  
Additional Testing ◽  
Falling Weight

The use of a new quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) specification involving Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) testing in concert with conventional moisture and density testing is becoming more and more frequent in various parts of the world. The need for this additional testing is essential, as the regular in-situ density tests cannot alone ensure the compliance of the layers constructed with the compaction requirements. Recent analyses of the correlation between the DCP testing and the California Bearing Ratio CBR testing show that QC and QA DCP testing is adequate to verify compaction, stability and vertical uniformity in both cohesive and granular soils. Two examples of DCP usage in two Israeli earthwork projects, one of clayey soils and the other of silty-sand soils, indicate the benefits of this usage along with, though for the clayey example only, Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing.

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