Evaluation of Density and Moisture Testing for Granular Materials

Achieving field densities close to maximum dry density of the granular materials is of vital importance to pavement's performance and its longevity. South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), among several other DOTs, have been using the Ohio Highway Department's (OHD's) typical moisture/density curves for compaction quality control of granular materials and granular soils. However, the OHD curves were not developed for granular materials and use of them was observed to result in error and inconsistencies between the lab and field-measured densities. In response to a need for development of methods for compaction quality control of granular materials, a SDDOT-funded research project (SD2014-12) recommended that (1) OHD moisture/density curves to be replaced by those developed in SD2014-12 project; and (2) a strength-based method using the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) should be applied for compaction quality control. The present study is being proposed to design an evaluation program to verify the moisture/density curves developed in SD2014-12 research project and the suggested DCP method as the strength-based approach. Also, a specification is proposed to be developed for successful implementation of DCP method, if this study shows that the DCP can be used as a strength-based method for screening the field compaction.

• Record URL:
  https://www.mountain-plains.org/research/details.php?id=526

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $78324
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747108

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108
• Project Managers:

  Tolliver, Denver

• Performing Organizations:

  Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

  South Dakota State University
  Brookings, SD  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Ghabchi, Rouzbeh

• Start Date: 20200806
• Expected Completion Date: 20240731
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Source Data: MPC-629

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compaction; Cone penetrometers; Density; Evaluation and assessment; Granular materials; Moisture content; Quality control; Specifications
• Identifier Terms: South Dakota Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01748084
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mountain-Plains Consortium
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747108
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 18 2020 7:02PM