A SOIL IDENTIFICATION METHOD FOR POTENTIAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM SITES ON THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON

Several logging road subgrades and cut slopes failed under wet construction conditions in the 1980's on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. Although standard laboratory soil test results did not indicate this would occur, field tests showed possible soil failure. A majority of these soils were coarse-grained with significant amounts of fines (silt and clay). Field soil identification methods indicated that these soils had a moisture content above the plastic limit; the laboratory test results were mostly non-plastic. During construction, the soils performed like plastic soils with low strength values, although in the laboratory the soils had suitable strength values for normal road construction methods. An hypothesis that standard laboratory tests for soil strength values do not detect organic and/or clay minerals that lead to failure under wet road construction conditions on the Olympic Peninsula was proven correct. A combined field and laboratory testing procedure was developed for identifying these soils. (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10787275
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M University, College Station

  College Station, TX  United States  77840
• Authors:
  • KOLER, T E
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 129-37
• Serial:
  • ENVIRONMENTAL & ENGINEERING GEOSCIENCE
  • Volume: 1
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Texas A&M University, College Station
  • ISSN: 1078-7275

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Classification; Construction sites; Failure; Road construction; Soils; Strength of materials
• ITRD Terms: 8513: Classification; 3628: Construction site; 5520: Failure; 3665: Road construction; 4156: Soil; 5544: Strength (mater)
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00722365
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jun 28 1996 12:00AM