Improving Moisture Resistance/Control of Pavement Foundation Systems via Engineered Water Repellency

The objective of this project is to evaluate the use of nanoscale organo-silane (OS) to control water and increase subgrade and overall pavement performance. It will also explore the extent to which OS can mitigate frost heave-thaw settlement and thaw weakening of frost susceptible pavement foundation layers. This will be achieved through the completion of four objectives: (1) collect both subgrade soils and OS materials; (2) develop a viable treatment design for field construction; (3) construct test sites with OS and without OS (control) and evaluate their geomechanical (e.g., stiffness, strength, F-T durability) and environmental (e.g., temperature, moisture, and matric suction) performances; and (4) collect data and calibrate numerical models. Advanced technologies provided as a match to the project will be used, including Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and shape array sensors (SAS).

• Supplemental Notes:
  • TPF15466Y

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $330,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  1036336 WO#13

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Road Research Alliance

  St. Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Managing Organizations:

  Minnesota Department of Transportation

  Office of Research & Innovation
  395 John Ireland Boulevard, MS 330
  St. Paul, MN  United States  55155-1899
• 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: 20231208
• Expected Completion Date: 20261231
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freeze thaw durability; Moisture barriers; Pavement subgrade; Silane; Water repellents
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01977373
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 1036336 WO#13
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 26 2026 4:09PM