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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <title>Understanding Causes of Concrete Culvert Pipe Joint Separation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244263</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Nearly 80% of culverts in Minnesota are concrete pipes. The most common distress affecting these culverts is joint separation between culvert segments. This may allow water and soil to seep through the pipe, which can lead to loss of soil support; this type of distress may ultimately result in roadway settlement and failure of the pipe. However, the cause of joint separation is unclear, so mitigation and construction practices that would minimize this problem have yet to be proposed. Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine the likely causes of joint separation in concrete culverts. The research will include a field survey of concrete pipes that exhibit joint separation, and correlations between joint separation and relevant site and structural conditions will be established. The field observation data will be supplemented by detailed geotechnical and live load test data from ten concrete culverts examined as part of an existing MnDOT implementation project related to live load distribution in reinforced concrete culverts. Computational models of the culverts will be developed to examine how the structure responds to traffic live loading, differential settlement, freeze-thaw of water in the joint, or swelling of freezing fine soils (e.g., silts and clays).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:02:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244263</guid>
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      <title>Stabilization of Expansive Soils using Geopolymers Prepared from Locally Available Resources</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948956</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The stabilization of soft and highly compressible soils is essential to construct transportation
infrastructure using local geomaterials. Such geomaterials typically contain a high amount of clay,
and therefore lack desired mechanical properties in their native state. Typically, traditional
calcium-based compounds (i.e. Portland cement, lime), and organic polymers are used to improve
the mechanical properties of those geomaterials. However, traditional calcium-based stabilizers
have a high carbon footprint while organic polymers have durability issues. Geopolymers are a
family of inorganic polymers that have recently received much attention as an alternative to
ordinary Portland cement in various transportation infrastructure applications due to its good and
comparable mechanical properties. In addition, geopolymer can be synthesized from various
sources of waste materials (e.g., fly ash, steel slag) and natural materials (e.g., rice husk, volcanic
ash, clay), which lowers its impact on the environment and carbon footprint. Although there are
already many studies in the past decade or so on stabilized clayey soils with geopolymer, there
are only a limited number of studies that utilize locally available resources.
A collaborative research study is formulated by teams from the Zachry Department of Civil &
Environmental Engineering and Department of Materials Science & Engineering at Texas A&M
Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) to evaluate the feasibility of stabilizing clayey soils using
geopolymers synthesized from a locally available resource, namely calcined clays, for the
transportation infrastructure in Region 6. The effects of different geopolymer, dosage, and curing
conditions will be studied on the mechanical properties and durability of geopolymer-stabilized
soils in order to optimize the use of geopolymer synthesized from locally available resources for
transportation infrastructure in Region 6. As a part of the proposed study, engineering tests such
as compressive strength, swell, shrinkage, durability will be coupled with materials
characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray
spectroscopy to relate the micro and macro behavior changes between the native and
geopolymer-treated soils. The result of this study should provide major benefits in the design of
resilient and eco-friendly transportation infrastructure in Texas and other regional states in Region
6 where clayey soils are in abundance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2022 10:46:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948956</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Design, Construction and Performance Monitoring of Stabilization of Expansive Soils and Cement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1641391</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Many areas in Texas have problems stabilizing expansive soils with traditional stabilizers (i.e. lime, cement, fly ash, or in combination) because of the high levels of sulfates in the soil. Many major pavement failures have occurred due to lime/cement induced sulfate heaves. In addition, reflection cracks from cement treated bases have been reported in numerous projects. Expansive soils have caused extensive pavement heaves, bumps and longitudinal cracks. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is actively looking for alternatives to stabilize expansive soils and cement treated bases with polypropylene fiber. There is a critical need to incorporate fiber in TxDOT's Modification and Stabilization of Soils and Base for Use in Pavement Structures guidelines. This project aims to develop appropriate laboratory test methods to evaluate mix designs for (1) fiber reinforced cement treated base, (2) fiber reinforced clay, and (3) fiber reinforced sandy soil. In addition, researchers will provide assistance to TxDOT Districts to develop optimum fiber application rates and establish specifications and construction quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) plans for uniform mixing. They will conduct laboratory tests to determine optimum fiber application rates for cement treated base and 6 different subgrade soils. One key issue that Researchers will address in this study is an evaluation of the mix technologies that ensure fibers are mixed uniformly in the field. Researchers will use the Wirtgen Reclaimer as the initial device for mixing fibers into the material being stabilized. Researchers will progress to other common construction equipment and processes to achieve the optimum mixing results. This study will investigate innovative Nondestructive Testing (NDT) tools to (1) assist site characterization, (2) select candidate test sections, (3) identify sampling locations, (4) provide input on mix design process, (5) provide Input during QC/QA process, and (6) monitor field performance of the test section. Researchers will document the optimal construction techniques and identify time and cost savings.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:21:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1641391</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Representative Testing of Expansive Soil Treatment Technologies for Transportation Earthworks</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1487825</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The shrink-swell behavior of expansive soils reduces transportation infrastructure longevity in much of the Mountain Plains region (Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming). Roadways are particularly susceptible to the effects of expansive soils due the combination of low ground pressures and large surface areas. The pervasiveness of expansive soils in the continental U.S. is shown in Fig. 1. Current estimates for the annual cost of damage to transportation infrastructure from expansive soils are not readily available, but were estimated by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be approximately $1.1 billion in 1973 (Jones & Holtz 1973) and $4.3 billion in 1981 (Jones 1981; $12 billion in 2017 dollars adjusting for inflation). Given the prevalence of expansive soils in the Mountain Plains region, economical solutions to mitigate damage to transportation infrastructure is necessary to enhance transportation system longevity throughout the Mountain Plains region.
The current Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC) project MPC-509 is aimed at evaluating expansive soil mitigation for transportation earthworks by polymer amendment. The goal of MPC-509 is to provide un-biased information on the effectiveness of commercially available polymer stabilizers. Testing to date has involved four commercially available polymer treatment technologies applied at different dosage rates to a highly expansive soil. Testing on the highly expansive soil has also been performed with varying dosages of Class-C fly ash, lime, and on untreated soil. Testing to date has included standard soil characterization, and tests of hydraulic conductivity (ASTM D5084), swelling potential (ASTM D4546), expansion index (ASTM D4829), and unconfined compressive strength (ASTM D5102). Results to date have shown that traditional stabilizers (lime and Class-C fly ash) are more effective at reducing swelling potential and expansion index than polymeric amendments. However, traditional stabilizers result in an order-of-magnitude increase in permeability, while polymer amendments result in reductions in permeability. Shrink-swell potential is mechanistically based on the addition of water, and the rate of ingress of water into soil is governed by the soil permeability. Thus, existing standard methods fail to provide a representative comparison of traditional and polymeric stabilizers (due to the ways these treatments modify the soils). An alternative method is needed to accurately compare traditional and polymeric stabilization of expansive soils, as well as other innovative materials proposed for use in treating expansive soils.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2017 14:37:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1487825</guid>
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      <title>The Influence of Subgrade Soils Susceptible to Shrink/Swell and/or Frost Heave on Pavement Performance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1466752</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Expansive clay soils that are susceptible to shrink and swell, and silty soils that are susceptible to frost heave are found in many parts of the United States. At these locations, these soils serve as the subgrade of the pavement structure. The AASHTOWare Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) Design (formerly DARWin-ME) and the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide Manual of Practice (MEPDG) provide a methodology for the analysis and performance prediction of new and rehabilitated pavements. Although the performance of these pavements is known to be closely related to properties of the subgrade, the performance predicted by this methodology does not adequately consider the influence of subgrade soils susceptible to shrink/swell and/or frost heave on pavement performance. There is a need to evaluate the procedures contained in the Pavement ME Design and identify or develop enhancements (in the form of modified or new models) to ensure that the procedures appropriately account for the influence of these types of subgrade soils on the performance of new and rehabilitated pavements. Incorporating these enhancements into the Pavement ME Design procedures will allow an improved analysis and design of pavement structures.
Under NCHRP Project 01-59, &ldquo;Proposed Enhancements to Pavement ME Design: Improved Consideration of the Influence of Subgrade Soils Susceptible to Shrink/Swell and/or Frost Heave on Pavement Performance,&rdquo; Arizona State University was asked to propose enhancements, as needed, to the Pavement ME Design procedures to better reflect the influence of subgrade soils susceptible to shrink/swell and/or frost heave on pavement performance. The research team (1) evaluated the adequacy of Pavement ME Design models to predict the influence of subgrade soils susceptible to shrink/swell and/or frost heave on the in-service pavement performance for a range of relevant factors (e.g., material, environment, and traffic conditions), (2) proposed a plan to improve the predictive ability of Pavement ME Design by modifying the models contained in the Pavement ME Design and/or developing new models, (3) proposed enhancements (in the form of modified or new models) to Pavement ME Design to better reflect the influence of subgrade soils susceptible to shrink/swell and/or frost heave on pavement performance, (4) identified issues affecting implementation of the proposed enhancements, and (5) prepared draft language for consideration by AASHTO to incorporate the research results in the next update of the AASHTO MEPDG.
In addition to the conduct of research that documents the entire research effort published as NCHRP Research Report 1096: Subgrade Soil Susceptibility to Shrink/Swell and Frost Heave, supplemental information for each corresponding chapter (Appendices 1-13) are available here and on the TRB website at www.trb.org.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 12 May 2017 09:46:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1466752</guid>
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