Non-Nuclear Methods for Compaction Control of Unbound Soil and Granular Layers

Proper density in the pavement, base, and subgrade layers is critical for ensuring a long-lasting road that meets performance expectations. Transportation agencies and contractors must have reliable devices and methods to determine in-situ density. KYTC inspectors and engineers use nuclear gauges to perform soil compaction tests to measure soil density and water content. But they are expensive to maintain, require special storage and safety considerations, repeated training, and certification for their use. In the past 20 years, extensive research and development into non-nuclear density gauges (NNDG) has been performed. NNDGs can offer all of the benefits of the NDG while eliminating the need for licenses, hassles, and costs of NNDG ownership. Examples of NNDGs used in transportation include dynamic cone penetrometers, light falling weight deflectometers, light weight deflectometers, and soil density gauges, among others. This research will investigate the current state of the practice for the use of non-nuclear test methods for the compaction control of unbound soil and granular layers.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $220000
• Contract Numbers:

  SPR 19-573

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

  200 Mero Street
  Frankfort, KY  United States  40622
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Kentucky Transportation Center College of Engineering, 176 Raymond Building
  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281
• Principal Investigators:

  Rister, Brad

• Start Date: 20180701
• Expected Completion Date: 20200630
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compaction; Cone penetrometers; Deflectometers; Density; Granular materials; Nuclear density gages; Pavement layers; State of the practice; Test procedures
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01677440
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University of Kentucky, Lexington
• Contract Numbers: SPR 19-573
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 6 2018 2:53PM