PAVEMENT EVALUATION AND UPGRADING OF LOW-COST ROADS

Design, construction, and performance experience on nonsurfaced gravel low-cost roads show that, even when proper design and construction procedures are followed, unexpected early failure often occurs. These modes of failure generally occur after the wet season and are normally attributed to the development of unexpected, very high moisture content in the subgrade. This moisture buildup in localized subgrade areas cannot be predicted and is frequently attributed to changes in topography, drainage, and environmental factors that take place during and after construction. This paper presents a new methodology to minimize unexpected pavement failure and to upgrade the underdesigned road sections. The methodology is based on the subgrade strain criterion. The strain characteristics developed on top of the subgrade are calculated for a given dynamic loading and therefore permit the determination of the location of these high-moisture and low-strength sections of the pavement. The proposed methodology also permits the calculation of the amount of roadway reinforcement required to achieve uniform roadway strain characteristics. The uniform strain should obviously result in a uniform life expectancy of the roadway. The automated instrumentation for making this strain inventory is now being used in Thailand, several countries in Latin America, and elsewhere. It has proven to be simple, economical, and practical. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1982/875/875-005.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=PAVEMENT+EVALUATION+AND+UPGRADING+OF+LOW-COST+ROADS&author=J.+Greenstein&publication_year=1982
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309034620
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Low-Volume Roads and Committee on Theory of Pavement Systems. 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.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Greenstein, Jacob
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 26-32
• Monograph Title: DESIGN AND UPGRADING OF SURFACING AND OTHER ASPECTS OF LOW-VOLUME ROADS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 875
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deformation curve; Dynamic loads; Gravel roads; Modernization; Moisture content; Pavement design; Pavement performance; Paving; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Low cost roads
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00371738
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309034620
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-035 173
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 29 1983 12:00AM