Investigation of In-Situ Strength of Various Construction/Widening Methods Utilized on Local Roads

This project goal was to develop and verify a low-cost, repeatable, nondestructive methodology to characterize the load carrying capacity of materials used in road widening and construction when established values are not available, and establish a range of structural coefficients and moduli for these materials. A total of 99 test sites were selected from 68 projects in seven participating counties across Ohio, which were grouped into five clusters. These sites included 19 different widening treatments. Each site was visited and tests were conducted and specimens gathered using the following techniques: Falling weight deflectometer (FWD), portable seismic properties analyzer (PSPA), light weight deflectometer (LWD), coring, and dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP). The data and specimens collected were used to measure layer thicknesses, the modulus, effective structural numbers, and layer coefficients applicable to each treatment. At least seven approaches were used to obtain these numbers from the data collected. The results were plotted in box plot and cumulative frequency format for each material and each analysis method. For each material, there is a wide variability of values both within one section and between different sections. There are many sources for this variability, however a range of numbers for moduli and layer coefficients can be identified for most treatments which can be utilized by local engineering personnel to design future projects. The procedure based on the Section 2.3.5 of the 1993 AASHTO pavement design guide using FWD data provided the best estimate of published layer coefficients. It is recommended the layer coefficients for the study materials estimated using this procedure be used. But note, the use of the coefficients in other areas without validation is not recommended. Accurate layer coefficients for multiple materials can only be determined by the construction of test sections and monitoring the performance under known loadings. For materials which will be widely used and the economics are justified, it is recommended test sections, with controls, be constructed at a common location to eliminate extraneous factors which confound the analysis.

• Record URL:
  http://cdm16007.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401ccp2/id/13560
• Corporate Authors:

  Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment (ORITE)

  Ohio University
  Athens, Ohio  United States 

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Office of Research and Development
  1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Sargand, Shad
  • Green, Roger
  • Burhani, Ahmadudin
  • Alghamdi, Hasan
  • Jordan, Benjamin
• Publication Date: 2016-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 108p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Layer coefficient (Pavements); Materials; Modulus of elasticity; Pavement structural numbers; Pavement widening
• Identifier Terms: AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Local roads
• Geographic Terms: Ohio
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01598786
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/OH-2016/02
• Contract Numbers: State Job No. 134991
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 2 2016 6:20PM