2272 - Performance of Moisture Barriers to Enhance Pavement Performance Over Swelling Soils

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has invested significant amounts of money on several projects to construct low-permeability barriers to prevent moisture changes in swelling soils beneath pavements. However, there has been relatively little post-construction monitoring of these sites to assess the performance and cost-effectiveness of the moisture barriers and associated pavements. Given the high material cost and additional construction cost associated with installing moisture barriers, there is a need to assess performance relative to reductions in moisture infiltration into swelling subgrades. Given the current state-of-the-art knowledge in this field, there is a need for laboratory soil testing, field monitoring, and numerical modeling of the problem. This research will assess the performance of moisture barriers, determine whether these are cost-effective solutions for pavement design over swelling soils, and develop recommendations for enhancing the design of moisture barriers.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • An award for year two of this study has not been approved.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $98895
• Contract Numbers:

  SPR 2272

  SPRY-0010(073)RS

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Oklahoma Department of Transportation

  200 NE 21st Street
  Oklahoma City, OK  United States  73105
• Project Managers:

  Clarke, Christopher

• Performing Organizations:

  Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

  School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  207 Engineering South
  Stillwater, OK  United States  74078
• Principal Investigators:

  Bulut, Rifat

• Start Date: 20171001
• Expected Completion Date: 20180930
• Actual Completion Date: 20190930

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Moisture barriers; Pavement design; Pavement performance; Swelling soils
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01578486
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Oklahoma Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: SPR 2272, SPRY-0010(073)RS
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Oct 22 2015 1:45PM