LATERITIC SOILS AND PAVING

COMMENTS ARE MADE ON THE ORIGIN OF THE CONCEPT OF LATERITES (BUCHANAN-1807) AND ITS DEVELOPMENT UP TO THE DEFINITIONS SUGGESTED BY ENG. H. NOVAIS FERREIRA, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING LABORATORY OF ANGOLA (1963). THE IMPORTANCE OF LATERITIC MATERIALS IN HIGHWAY ENGINEERING AND THE NEED FOR CLEAR DEFINITIONS ARE STRESSED. EXAMPLES OF RESULTS COLLECTED FROM THE ANALYSIS OF LATERITIC GRAVEL PITS IN BRAZIL AND AFRICA ARE PRESENTED, INCLUDING THE RELATIONSHIP SILICA/SESQUIOXIDE AND THERMOGRAMS OF LATERITIC MATERIALS FROM THE NORTHEAST OF BRAZIL. A REVIEW OF SOIL SCIENCE FROM THE GEOLOGICAL, PEDOLOGICAL, AND ROAD-GEOPHYSICAL POINT OF VIEW IS MADE. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO THE TROPICAL METEORIZATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF ITS PRODUCTS. THE DEFINITIONS SUGGESTED BY ENG. NOVAIS FERREIRA ARE DISCUSSED. THE NECESSITY OF PARTICULAR SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MECHANICAL STABILIZATION OF THE BASES IN LATERITIC SOILS IS EMPHASIZED. THREE SUGGESTIONS FOR SPECIFICATIONS FOR LATERITIC BASES ARE PRESENTED AS A FUNCTION OF TRAFFIC TYPE AND VOLUME. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE THIRD SUGGESTION (LESS TRAFFIC) FOR PAVING OF HIGHWAYS SUCH AS BELEM-BRASILIA AND TRANSAMAZONICA IS STRESSED. SOME GEOLOGICAL AND PEDOLOGICAL DATA OF THE BELEM-BRASILIA HIGHWAY ARE MENTIONED, ESPECIALLY THE OBSERVATION THAT THE "CANGAS" COVER ALL THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS ALL ALONG THE 2,000 KM OF THE ROAD. /RRI/

• Corporate Authors:

  Road Research Institute /Brazil

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Santana, H
• Publication Date: 1970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: General surface features of the earth; Geology; Geophysics; Gravel pits; Laterites; Pavements; Silica; Soil science; Soils; Specifications; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Old TRIS Terms: Geologic formations
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00217087
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Road Research Institute /Brazil
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 16 1971 12:00AM