REPETITIVE LOADING TESTS ON MEMBRANE-ENVELOPED ROAD SECTIONS DURING FREEZE-THAW CYCLES

Road test sections of membrane-enveloped silt and clay soils overlain with asphalt cement concrete were subjected to repetitive dynamic plate-bearing loadings to determine their strength variations during freeze-thaw cycles. The recoverable surface deformations in the load deflection bowl were continuously measured during the loading cycles and analyzed using the Chevron layered elastic computer program to obtain the in situ resilient deformation modulus of the various section layers at different stages of the freeze-thaw cycles. The resilient stiffness of the pavement system (the total load per unit of resilient load plate deflection) was also calculated for the various freeze-thaw conditions. The modulus values of the asphalt cement concrete varied inversely with its temperature by an order of magnitude (90,000 psi to 1,300,00 psi). The resilient stiffness of the pavement system varied in the same manner by nearly a factor of eight (228.4 kips/in. to 1740.2 kips/in.). Despite the wide strength variations of the sections during freeze-thaw cycles, membrane-enveloped fine-grained soils can be utilized instead of granular materials as base and subbase layers in flexible pavements in cold regions where moisture migration is a major concern. Moisture migration did not occur at saturation levels up to 75%; thus there was no strength loss during thawing. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

  72 Lyme Road
  Hanover, NH  United States  03755-1290
• Authors:
  • Smith, N
  • Eaton, R A
  • Stubstad, J M
• Publication Date: 1978-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerated tests; Asphalt; Asphalt cement; Asphalt concrete; Clay; Clay soils; Cold weather; Concrete; Deformation; Durability; Fine grained soils; Flexible pavements; Freezing; Highways; Loads; Material resilience; Moisture content; Motion; Operations; Pavements; Repeated loads; Roads; Seasons; Silts; Soil mechanics; Stiffness; Strength of materials; Testing; Thaw
• Uncontrolled Terms: Freeze thaw cycles; Membranes; Moisture movement; Seasonal variations
• Old TRIS Terms: Highway pavement; Membranes (Biology)
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00185507
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: CRREL-78-12
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 1979 12:00AM