Permeability of Base Material for Maine Roads

Cutting the cost of road maintenance and reducing life-cycle costs are the main reasons the FHWA has increased its emphasis on drainage in the pavement structural section. Good drainage requires that the base and subbase drain freely and relatively quickly. Poor drainage is thought to cause the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) to spend millions of extra dollars each year maintaining its state highways. Improved specifications and design policies for subbase material were developed by investigating the gradation and permeability of the subbase currently used by MaineDOT. Eight field projects were selected to investigate the permeability and gradation of subbase material for Maine roads. Results indicate that typical MaineDOT subbase gradations have excess fines and sand-size fraction compared with FHWA recommendations. The standard subbase currently used by MaineDOT has an average coefficient of permeability of 0.00059 cm/s (1.7 ft/day) whereas the FHWA recommends a minimum coefficient of permeability of 0.35 cm/s (1,000 ft/day) for permeable base material. With multivariable regression analysis, an equation was determined to estimate subbase permeability from percent fines and coefficient of uniformity. Life-cycle cost savings of up to $244,000/km ($406,000/mi) of road can be achieved in Maine with the use of permeable base.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/1936-17
• 
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Permeability+of+Base+Material+for+Maine+Roads&author=M.+Bouchedid&author=D.+Humphrey&publication_year=2005
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309094100
• Authors:
  • Bouchedid, Michel B
  • Humphrey, Dana N
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 142-149
• Monograph Title: Soil Mechanics 2005
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 1936
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregate gradation; Drainage coefficient; Equations; Fine materials; Life cycle costing; Pavement subbase; Permeability; Regression analysis; Subbase materials
• Identifier Terms: Maine Department of Transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Coefficient of uniformity
• Geographic Terms: Maine
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01023532
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309094100
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 28 2006 8:36AM