Standardizing Lightweight Deflectometer Measurements for QA and Modulus Determination in Unbound Bases and Subgrades

The primary objective of this study is to provide State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and local government engineers with a practical and theoretically sound methodology for the evaluation of in-place elastic modulus of unbound layers, subgrades, and other earthwork from Lightweight Deflectometer (LWD) field test data. This will require the development of techniques to fully account for: (1) the influence of moisture suction pressures on LWD measurements; (2) the differences in the LWD induced stress states/strain levels and the stress states/strain levels induced by construction equipment and long term traffic loads; and (3) the effects of layering on LWD measurements when testing on finite-thickness layers (e.g., base or subbase over subgrade) vs. half-space conditions (e.g., subgrade). The test standards and analysis methodologies developed in this study will enable agencies to: (a) use LWDs with confidence for construction quality assurance (QA); (b) develop catalogs of appropriate design modulus values for use in pavement structural design, specifically in the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, (MEPDG) and its companion DARWin-ME software; and (c) reduce recurring annual costs associated with QA inspection of soils and unbound materials.

• Record URL:
  http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/527

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $400000
• Contract Numbers:

  TPF-5(285)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Michigan Department of Transportation

  Van Wagoner Building
  425 W. Ottawa Street
  Lansing, MI  United States  48909

  Missouri Department of Transportation

  1617 Missouri Blvd.
  P.O. Box 270
  Jefferson City, MO  United States  65102

  Virginia Department of Transportation

  1408 E Broad Street
  Richmond, VA  United States  23219

  South Carolina Department of Transportation

  955 Park Street
  P.O. Box 191
  Columbia, SC  United States  29202-0191

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

  P.O. Box 25201
  1 South Wilmington Street
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27611

  New York State Department of Transportation

  50 Wolf Road
  Albany, NY  United States  12232

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450

  Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration

  707 N. Calvert Street
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21202
• Project Managers:

  Hardt, Allison

• Start Date: 20211013
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20161130
• Source Data: RiP Project 41985

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deflectometers; Field tests; Mechanistic-empirical pavement design; Modulus of elasticity; Pavement design; Pavement layers; Quality assurance; Subgrade (Pavements); Traffic loads
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lightweight deflectometers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01541241
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Contract Numbers: TPF-5(285)
• Files: RIP, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 21 2014 1:01AM