A NEW APPROACH TO THE DESIGN OF UNPAVED ROADS--PART 1

A new method is presented for the design of unreinforced and reinforced unpaved roads. The type of unpaved road considered consists of a layer of granular fill over a soft clay subgrade. In the reinforced case, the reinforcement (either polymer grid or a geotextile) is placed between the fill and the clay. The design is based on the concept that, as vertical loads are applied to a granular layer, horizontal stresses must also develop within that layer. These stresses are held in equilibrium by shear stresses at the surface of the subgrade, and in unreinforced roads these shear stresses have a detrimental effect on the bearing capacity. The new method moves away from a previous emphasis on membrane action to explain the function of reinforcement, and is therefore able to account for observed improvements due to reinforcement at small surface deflections. The new method is compared with the results of model tests. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00174653
• Corporate Authors:

  Thomas Telford Limited

  London,   United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • MILLIGAN, GWE
  • JEWELL, R A
  • Houlsby, G T
  • BURD, H J
• Publication Date: 1989-4

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 25-29
• Serial:
  • GROUND ENGINEERING
  • Volume: 22
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: EMAP CONSTRUCT LIMITED
  • ISSN: 0017-4653

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Clay; Evaluation; Fills; Granular materials; Mathematical models; Mechanically stabilized earth; Pavement design; Stresses; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Low cost roads
• Old TRIS Terms: Fill, embankment
• ITRD Terms: 3085: Bearing capacity; 4177: Clay; 2801: Embankment; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 4107: Granular; 2986: Low cost road; 6473: Mathematical model; 3055: Pavement design; 3349: Reinforced earth; 5575: Stress (in material); 2950: Subgrade
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00493500
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1990 12:00AM