"SANDWICH" ROAD MIX USES POOR SOIL, NO AGGREGATES

THE PROCESS CALLED MEMBRANE-ENVELOPED SOIL LAYER (MESL), IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE SOIL ITSELF WILL SUPPORT CARGO VEHICLE TRAFFIC IF MOISTURE IS SCALED OFF. SOIL FOR FOUNDATION LAYER IS SCRAPED AWAY AND THE SUBGRADE SURFACE MATERIAL IS SMOOTHED BY GRADERS AND STABILIZED WITH EMULSIFIED ASPHALT. A POLYETHYLENE TARP IS PLACED ACROSS THE PREPARED SURFACE. THE SOIL THAT WAS SCRAPED AWAY IS NOW DUMPED ON THE TARP AND GRADED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. THE SOIL LAYER, AFTER COMPACTION IS SPRAYED WITH RAPID SETTING EMULSIFIED ASPHALT. DETAILS ARE GIVEN OF THR PLACING OF THE SOIL LAYER AND THE TARP. AFTER BONDING UPPER AND LOWER MEMBRANES, A FINAL APPLICATION OF ASPHALT GOES ON THE POLYPROPYLENE (ARANDOM FIBER MATERIAL OF 5 DENIER WEIGHING 4 OZ PER SQUARE YD.) AND THE SURFACE IS BLOTTED WITH SAND. A DEMONSTRATION ROAD SUBJECTED TO 2000 COVERAGES OF MILITARY VEHICLES OVER A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS REMAINS IN GOOD CONDITION. THE ABILITY OF THE TOP MEMBRANE TO SUPPORT TRAFFIC WAS EVALUATED USING A COMPLETELY AUTOMATED CIRCULAR TEST FACILITY. RESULTS OF A TEST ON AN AGGREGATE-LESS FOUNDATION INDICATED THAT THE MATERIAL IS A SATISFACTORY FOUNDATION FOR HEAVY AIRCRAFT.

• Publication Date: 1972-11

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 18-9
• Serial:
  • Rural and Urban Roads
  • Volume: 10 N
  • Issue Number: n1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt; Demonstration projects; Ethylene resins; Foundations; Freight transportation; Plastics; Soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Polyethylene
• Old TRIS Terms: Road mix
• Subject Areas: Construction; Freight Transportation; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215609
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 15 1974 12:00AM