Hydraulic Conductivity of Base Course Material, Pavement Drainage, and Relation to Pavement Buckling

This research project aims to study the effects of excessive moisture in base courses, focusing on the potential contributions of base course drain ability and water retention to pavement buckling and investigate adjustments to base course gradations and drainage details and strategies to improve drain ability, control sensitivity to moisture changes, and reduce buckling potential while maintaining adequate pavement support. The proposed project will include sampling and testing of base courses around the state to characterize the index properties, hydraulic conductivity, water retention curves, drainage properties, and resilient modulus. Base course samples from pavement buckling occurrences will also be collected to assess if commonalities exist in the base courses where pavement buckling occurs. Current pavement drainage strategies employed in Wisconsin will also be reviewed. Base course gradations, water retention properties, and pavement drainage strategies of surrounding states will also be reviewed. The culmination of reviewing current Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) base course gradations and drainage details and those of surrounding states will be the development of updated base course gradations and drainage strategies to improve moisture management while maintaining adequate pavement support.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Sponsor Organizations:

  University of Wisconsin, Madison

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  1415 Engineering Drive
  Madison, WI  United States  53706
• Start Date: 20251003
• Expected Completion Date: 20260930
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregate gradation; Buckling; Drainage; Moisture content; Pavement base course
• Geographic Terms: Wisconsin
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01979817
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 18 2026 11:35AM