SUB-BASE STABILITY: A SHEAR-BOX TEST COMPARED WITH OTHER PREDICTION METHODS

A series of pilot-scale trafficking trials have been carried out with a loaded lorry and with a wheeled paver on several types of crushed rock and sand and gravel sub-based complying with the Type 1 requirements of the DTp specification; results have been used as a basis for comparing the usefulness of methods of predicting stability of such materials under construction traffic. As expected, simple tests of grading or angularity and descriptions of petrological groups of aggregates were found to be unreliable parameters of stability. CBR tests also gave results which were unsatisfactory for this purpose. Although it was found that the established Mohr-Colomb shear-strength theory could not be applied to the materials examined, a modified 300 mm shear-box test was found to give a reliable classification of stability of non-plastic sub-bases. A simpler method, based on measurements of decelerations of a drop-hammer device also shows promise.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)

  Wokingham, Berkshire  United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • Pike, D C
  • Acott, S M
  • Leech, R M
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crushed rock; Forecasting; Gravel; Road construction; Sand; Stability (Mechanics); Subbase (Pavements); Test procedures; Traffic
• Uncontrolled Terms: Subbase
• Old TRIS Terms: Nonplastic soil
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163550
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRRL Lab. Report 785
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 29 1977 12:00AM