Developing Specifications for Shale Breakdown

In many parts of Kansas, sufficient quantities of soil are not available for compaction, and excavated shale is used for filling. This shale often contains lumps of substantial size, which can lead to problems with achieving an acceptable level of compaction. Furthermore, shale lumps from many formations will break down over time. The resulting fills can experience substantial settlement and may develop weak planes that can result in slope failures. A better specification for shale breakdown is needed, however the degree of shale breakdown required to reduce these problems to an acceptable level is not understood with a sufficient degree of accuracy. Research is needed to more accurately identify the degree of shale breakdown required to achieve the desired performance with regard to compaction, degradation rate (slaking), settlement and soil strength, and the influence of factors such as the fines content and plasticity index, and the influence of naturally cemented shales vs shales resulting from natural compaction only. It will then be possible to develop a specification based on the results of that research.

    Language

    • English

    Project

    • Status: Active
    • Funding: $79,881.00
    • Contract Numbers:

      K-TRAN: KU-25-3

      RE-0900-01

      C2243

    • Sponsor Organizations:

      Kansas Department of Transportation

      Eisenhower State Office Building
      700 SW Harrison Street
      Topeka, KS  United States  66603-3754
    • Performing Organizations:

      University of Kansas Center for Research, Incorporated

      2291 Irving Hill Drive, Campus West
      Lawrence, KS  United States  66045
    • Principal Investigators:

      Parsons, Robert

      Han, Jie

    • Start Date: 20240701
    • Expected Completion Date: 20260630
    • Actual Completion Date: 0

    Subject/Index Terms

    Filing Info

    • Accession Number: 01942499
    • Record Type: Research project
    • Source Agency: Kansas Department of Transportation
    • Contract Numbers: K-TRAN: KU-25-3, RE-0900-01, C2243
    • Files: RIP, STATEDOT
    • Created Date: Jan 13 2025 3:12PM