Enhancing Transportation Safety through Moisture Control Using Wicking Geotextiles in Pavement Systems

Excess subsurface moisture is a primary cause of pavement deterioration, contributing to frost heave, thaw weakening, pumping, stiffness loss, and surface roughness. These moisture-driven mechanisms compromise roadway safety by reducing vehicle stability, braking performance, and ride quality, while increasing maintenance frequency and costs. Wicking geotextiles are an emerging geosynthetic technology designed to actively remove both gravity and capillary water from pavement systems without external energy input. By transporting moisture laterally toward pavement shoulders and releasing it through evaporation, these materials help maintain drier and more stable subgrade conditions. Previous laboratory studies and field applications have demonstrated their technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness; however, current implementation remains largely empirical due to the lack of a mechanistic design framework. This project aims to develop a fully coupled thermo–hydro–mechanical (THM) modeling framework to quantify the moisture-removal capacity of wicking geotextiles and evaluate their impact on pavement performance under unsaturated and freezing conditions. The research integrates laboratory characterization of soil–geotextile systems, controlled freezing tests to assess frost-heave mitigation, and advanced numerical modeling grounded in modern unsaturated soil mechanics. The validated model will be used to conduct parametric studies examining soil type, groundwater level, environmental loading, and installation configuration. The expected outcomes include a validated THM model, quantitative evaluation tools for moisture control effectiveness, and practical, safety-oriented design guidance for transportation agencies. By transforming wicking geotextiles into a design-ready technology, this project will support safer, more resilient, and cost-effective pavement infrastructure.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $159,998.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348307

• 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:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851
• Project Managers:

  Bruner, Britain

• Performing Organizations:

  Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla

  Department of Engineering
  202 University Center
  Rolla, MO    65409
• Principal Investigators:

  Zhang, Xiong

• Start Date: 20260601
• Expected Completion Date: 20270531
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freeze thaw durability; Frost heaving; Geotextiles; Moisture content; Pavement design; Pavement performance; Soil mechanics
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01989853
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348307
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 20 2026 9:19AM