Recycled Unbound Materials

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:49:37 GMT

Most of the current and former research projects using recycled materials are based on laboratory material characterization and mix design. The research proposed in this pooled fund study seeks to validate many of the previous findings with field performance data. The design guide modeling performed at Texas A&M is also in need of field validation. There is some anecdotal evidence of existing recycled base materials, but this research would provide a controlled field experiment in which quantifiable results could be obtained. This research would also provide a good opportunity to revisit some of the environmental concerns and address ways to mitigate the ill effects of effluent from the recycled concrete base layer. This research will help broaden the application of mechanistic-empirical pavement design methods to the use of recycled materials. The objective of this study is to monitor the performance of several test cells at the Minnesota Road Research Facility (MnROAD) constructed using recycled materials in the granular base layers, including blended with virgin materials and 100% recycled asphalt and concrete pavement materials. The material properties will be monitored during construction and throughout the pavement life in order to determine their effects on pavement performance. The properties will be used to verify mechanistic-empirical design inputs, especially their variation with changing seasons and moisture regimes.

Modeling Mechanistic Properties of Unbound Pavement Materials for New York State

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:47:30 GMT

This project will increase the applicability of the seasonal pavement materials models that were developed for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in an earlier research project entitled #C-01-54, Seasonal Variations of In Situ Materials Properties. The models from that project were designed to help NYSDOT implement the new mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) while still being applicable with the existing NYSDOT Comprehensive Pavement Design Manual (CPDM). This project will expand on earlier research results, creating models of seasonal change in unbound (subbase and subgrade) layer moduli that are more broadly applicable across all of New York State. The original models covered about 60 percent of the geographic area of the state. The objective in this research is to increase the coverage of climatological and materials conditions, resulting in predictive models of pavement mechanistic properties, applicable to approximately 90 percent of the area of the state. The primary goal is to expand the inference space of the models of seasonal change in unbound (subbase and subgrade) layer moduli for use in mechanistic pavement design. Information gained from the initial study shall be used to focus the activities of this project.

Research in Progress (RIP)

Recycled Unbound Materials

Modeling Mechanistic Properties of Unbound Pavement Materials for New York State