BITUMINOUS BASES AND SURFACINGS FOR LOW-COST ROADS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND OTHER TROPICAL AREAS

Mechanically stable materials for road bases are often not obtainable in developing countries and the technique of soil stabilisation has therefore been developed. In the Middle East, aggregates are often scarce but oil products are readily available. The region has therefore provided some of the earliest examples of bituminous stabilisation, which originally consisted of thin running surfaces over compacted sand. Bituminous stabilisation can also enable local sand to be used for base construction, and various tests and design criteria have been proposed for such applications. The article describes full-scale experimental trials supported by laboratory research, which have enabled acceptance criteria for bitumen-stabilised sand bases for light/medium traffic to be proposed. Construction methods for bituminous stabilisation are also described. Details are given of methods of surface dressing, which is important both as an initial running surface on new bases and as a maintenance treatment. Premixed bituminous materials, both as bases and surfacings, might perhaps be considered as inadmissible for low-cost roads. Such roads, however, usually require progressive improvement because of the traffic growth which accompanies development. There is a growing use of strengthening overlays and the article briefly discusses premixed materials and their applications. /Author/TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Embankment Press Limited

  Building 59, GEC Estate, East Lane
  Wembley, Middlesex HA9 7TQ,   England 
• Authors:
  • HITCH, L S
  • Russell, RBC
• Publication Date: 1977-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 5
• Serial:
  • Highways and Road Construction International
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue Number: 1806
  • Publisher: Embankment Press

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Base course (Pavements); Bitumen; Bituminous bases; Bituminous materials; Construction management; Developing countries; Pavement design; Pavements; Road construction; Sand; Seal coats; Soil stabilization; Specifications; Stabilized materials; Strength of materials; Structural strengthening; Surface treating; Tropics
• Uncontrolled Terms: Low cost roads
• Old TRIS Terms: Bituminous stabilization; Bituminous surfacing; Low cost road construction
• ITRD Terms: 4963: Bitumen; 4955: Bituminous materials; 3666: Construction method; 2986: Low cost road; 3055: Pavement design; 2961: Roadbase; 3688: Roadbase stabilization; 4105: Sand; 177: Specifications; 3096: Strengthening (pavement); 2984: Surface dressing; 2513: Tropics
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I31: Bituminous Binders and Materials; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00159844
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Analytic
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 16 1978 12:00AM