EFFECT OF DEGREE OF SATURATION ON BEARING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS

IN THE U.S.A. THE BEARING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS IS OFTEN REDUCED DURING THE SPRING THAW, PARTLY BECAUSE BASE AND SUBGRADE MATERIALS HAVE EXPANDED BY FROST HEAVE AND PARTLY BECAUSE THE SOIL HAS BECOME SATURATED AND THERE IS EXCESS OF PORE PRESSURE CAUSED BY RAPID MELTING OF ICE LENSES. IN 1963 THE AUTHOR PROPOSED A DESIGNED METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT FAILURE TAKES PLACE IN A FULLY SATURATED SUBGRADE. THE PRESENT PAPER CONCERNS THE EFFECT OF DEGREE OF SATURATION ON BEARING CAPACITY WHICH IS A FUNCTION OF THE APPARENT ANGLE OF INTERNAL FRICTION AND OF THE APPARENT COHESION AS EVALUATED BY UNDRAINED TRIAXIAL OR DIRECT SHEAR TESTS. THE APPARENT FRICTION ANGLE DECREASES RAPIDLY WITH INCREASING PORE PRESSURE COEFFICIENT AND THE APPARENT COHESION INCREASES RAPIDLY WITH INCREASING DEGREE OF SATURATION AND PORE COEFFICIENT. THE EFFECT OF OTHER FACTORS IS SMALL WHEN THE APPARENT COHESION OF THE SOIL EXCEEDS 400 LB/FT2. CALCULATIONS OF THE ULTIMATE BEARING CAPACITY OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS ON SUBGRADES OF /A/ SILT OF LOW COMPRESSIBILITY AND /B/ CLAY OF MEDIUM PLASTICITY FOR DIFFERENT PAVEMENT THICKNESSES, TYRE CONTACT PRESSURES AND SUBGRADE SATURATION SHOW THAT THE DEGREE OF SATURATION GREATLY AFFECTED THE BEARING CAPACITY OF THE PAVEMENT. /RRL/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1965/71/71-001.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Broms, Bengt B
• Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 1-14
• Monograph Title: Flexible pavement design; 1963 and 1964
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 71
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Clay; Coefficient of internal friction; Cohesion; Compressibility; Design; Direct shear tests; Flexibility; Flexible pavements; Frost; Frost heaving; Pavement design; Percent saturation; Plasticity; Pore pressure; Pressure; Silts; Subgrade (Pavements); Tires; Triaxial shear tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Contact pressure; Design criteria; Flexible
• Old TRIS Terms: Bearing capacities; Frost heave
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00206550
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 12 1994 12:00AM