Impact of Modulus Based Device Variability on Quality Control of Compacted Geomaterials Using Measurement System Analysis

The advances in technology have resulted in new generation of in-situ nondestructive testing devices that can estimate stiffness parameters of compacted geomaterials. These include the light weight deflectometers, portable impulse plate load test devices, electro-mechanical stiffness devices and seismic devices. Despite a number of formal research and pilot studies, only a few agencies are attempting to implement these devices in their acceptance specifications. One of the main concerns is with the large variability in the stiffness parameters obtained with these devices when compared to densities measured with traditional devices (e.g. nuclear density gauge). The sources of the variability can be material-related, operator-related or device-related. It would be beneficial to systematically delineate the contributions of these sources of variability so that the equipment developer can improve their devices, highway agencies can modify their testing protocols, and pavement geotechnical engineers can address the material-related issues. This paper contains the results of an effort to quantify the equipment- and operator-related variability in a systematic manner. Measurement system analysis principles were applied to a database of stiffness measurements made with four stiffness-measuring devices on eighteen separate specimens that were prepared from the same material at similar densities and moisture contents. It was found that most devices are reasonably repeatable and reproducible as long as the moisture content and density are rigidly controlled. Most of the site specific variability reported in the literature may be due to lack of rigid process control during construction.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFP30 Soil and Rock Properties.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Mazari, Mehran
  • Garcia, Gerardo
  • Garibay, Jose
  • Abdallah, Imad
  • Nazarian, Soheil
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2013-1-13 to 2013-1-17
• Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 92nd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceptance tests; Compacted soils; Geotechnical engineering; Measuring instruments; Nondestructive tests; Pavement design; Performance; Quality control; Reliability; Stiffness tests; Test procedures
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01476856
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 13-3192
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 27 2013 9:39AM