Mechanistic Characterization of Soils and Aggregates

As the Utah Department of transportation (UDOT) moves to implement the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), new information about the properties of individual pavement layers will be needed. Particular to soils and aggregates, the mechanistic-empirical pavement design process requires knowledge of Poisson's ratio, coefficient of lateral earth pressure, and resilient modulus as strength properties. While resilient modulus can be estimated in the MEPDG software from CBR and selected other parameters, the application of the correlations to typical Utah materials warrants investigation. Therefore, research to establish resilient modulus values for typical Utah materials is needed, and existing correlations among these test results and those of more commonly performed tests need to be evaluated and new correlations developed as needed; for example, developing correlations between modulus and CBR for typical Utah materials would be very useful to UDOT pavement and materials engineers. In addition, understanding the effects of freezing on the strength properties of soils and aggregates would be useful in determining representative properties to use as inputs in the MEPDG software. The objective of this study is to conduct mechanistic characterizations of typical Utah soils and aggregates to support implementation of the new MEPDG. Tasks for this study include (1) Conduct a literature review and prepare a summary of available information related to mechanistic characterization of soils and aggregates for the MEPDG and correlations between modulus and other properties; (2) Identify and obtain approximately 10 samples of soils and aggregates of greatest interest to UDOT; (3) Design laboratory experimentation to measure resilient modulus (at normal and freezing temperatures), as well as other selected strength properties of each material; (4) Perform analyses of test results, including evaluations of correlations used within the MEPDG software and calculations of representative modulus values for given climates within Utah; (5) Develop an implementation plan; and (6) Prepare a research report documenting the full project.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $75000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  12-9110

  UT09.301

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Utah Department of Transportation

  4501 South 2700 West
  Project Development
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8380
• Project Managers:

  Nichol, Kevin

• Performing Organizations:

  Brigham Young University

  Provo, UT  United States  84602-4081
• Principal Investigators:

  Guthrie, W

• Start Date: 20110401
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20130401
• Source Data: RiP Project 26169

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; California bearing ratio; Earth pressure; Mechanistic design; Pavement design; Pavement layers; Soils
• Identifier Terms: Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; I30: Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01472112
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Utah Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 12-9110, UT09.301
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 13 2013 1:00AM