Determination of Structural Benefits of PennDOT Approved Geogrids in Pavement Design

This research was undertaken to evaluate and determine structural benefits of three Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approved geogrids for reinforcing weak pavement subgrade. A mechanistic-empirical approach was adopted to develop subgrade permanent deformation models for geogrid-reinforced flexible pavements. Multi-scale tests were conducted for the three geogrids. Mechanical and index properties of the geogrids were tested before the geogrids were subjected to bench-scale testing, namely pullout and direct shear tests. Two sets of accelerated pavement tests (APTs) were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of geogrids in improving pavement performance. For each APT, four pavement sections were constructed in a pit with concrete walls, among which one was control and the others were reinforced with different geogrids. Two different types of soil were involved for the subgrade construction through the two sets of accelerated testing. Various instruments were installed in the pavement system to measure both static and dynamic response of the pavements. Finite element models were created to simulate the pavement sections in the pit. Subgrade permanent deformation models were developed for pavement sections on the basis of the model adopted by the "Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide" (MEPDG). The MEPDG model was modified to accommodate the test conditions in this study. Calibration of the model was conducted using the measurements from the instrumented APT I while the measurements from the instrumented APT II were used to verify the model.

• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/18559
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802

  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Planning and Research
  400 North Street, 6th Floor
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17120-0064

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center

  Pennsylvania State University
  201 Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802-4710

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Palomino, Angelica M
  • Tang, Xiaochao
  • Stoffels, Shelley M
• Publication Date: 2010-12-31

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 171p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accelerated tests; Finite element method; Flexible pavements; Geogrids; Mathematical models; Pavement design; Rutting; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Identifier Terms: Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I33: Other Materials used in Pavement Layers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01332478
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-PA-2010-012-PSU 018, LTI 2011-06
• Contract Numbers: 510602, PSU 018
• Files: UTC, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 15 2011 8:52AM