Introducing Smart Materials in Granular Roadway and Pavement Foundation Systems for Mitigating Freeze-Thaw Damage
The objective of the proposed research is to investigate the extent to which phase change materials (PCMs) mitigate the impacts of freeze-thaw cycles on heaving and strength loss among frost susceptible subgrade soils. This new mitigation method has the potential to dramatically extend the service life of civil infrastructure systems while demonstrating the use of smart materials as a novel method for soil improvement. Seasonal frost heaving and freeze-thaw weakening have a significant effect on granular and local roadways. A lack of insight as to and viable solutions for these problems exacerbates maintenance costs. The principal hypothesis of the proposed work is that PCMs will help keep the soil temperature above freezing (> 0 °C) for longer which will minimize the existing and capillary water in soils to freeze and form ice lenses thereby preventing frost heave and strength loss in subgrade soils. This hypothesis will be tested via a series of state-of-the-art laboratory-scale tests under various settings, and numerical modelling. The proposed research contains three phases: (1) characterization; (2) optimization; and (3) performance. The characterization phase will determine the index and physicochemical properties of soils, PCMs, and soil-PCM mixtures while the optimization phase will determine the best inclusion method for PCMs in soils. Experiments in the performance phase will evaluate how PCM inclusion impacts the frost heave and the strength loss after freezing and thawing.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $130,000.00
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Contract Numbers:
TR-809
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Sponsor Organizations:
Iowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, IA United States 50010 -
Managing Organizations:
Iowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, IA United States 50010 -
Project Managers:
Goetz, Vanessa
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Performing Organizations:
Michigan State University, East Lansing
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
East Lansing, MI United States 48824-1226 -
Principal Investigators:
Cetin, Bora
- Start Date: 20220415
- Expected Completion Date: 20250630
- Actual Completion Date: 0
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Freeze thaw durability; Gravel roads; Smart materials
- Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Pavements;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01945626
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Iowa Department of Transportation
- Contract Numbers: TR-809
- Files: RIP, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Feb 12 2025 5:04PM