The purpose of a geotextile separator beneath a granular base, or subbase in a flexible pavement system is to prevent the road aggregate and the underlying subgrade from intermixing. It has been hypothesized that in the absence of a geotextile, intermixing between base course aggregate and soft subgrade occurs. Nine heavily instrumented flexible pavement test sections were built in Bedford County Virginia to investigate the benefits of geosynthetic stabilization in flexible pavements. Three groups of different base course thicknesses (100, 150 and 200mm) test sections were constructed with either geotextile or geogrid stabilization or no stabilization. Woven geotextile was used in sections 2, 5 and 8. Geogrids were used in sections 3, 6 and 9, and sections 1, 4 and 7 were controls. Six Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests were performed on all the nine sections over 30 months. The nine sections were subjected to at least 5 load drops with wide loading range each time. The measured deflections were analyzed using the MODULUS back-calculation program to determine layer moduli. The measured deflections were used together with elastic, viscoelastic and the MODULUS program to determine the extent of intermixing at base-subgrade interface. The study concluded that a transition layer would develop when a separator is absent, especially in the weak sections (designed to fail in three years). Other measurements such as in-situ stresses, rut depth, and subsurface profiling (using ground penetrating radar) support the conclusion of the development of a transition layer. / Master of Science

Using geotextiles in secondary roads to stabilize weak subgrades has been a well accepted practice over the past thirty years. However, from an economical point of view, a complete life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), which includes not only costs to agencies but also costs to users, is urgently needed to assess the benefits of using geotextile in secondary road flexible pavement. In this study, a comprehensive life cycle cost analysis framework was developed and used to quantify the initial and the future cost of 25 representative design alternatives. A 50 year analysis cycle was used to compute the cost-effectiveness ratio for the design methods. Four flexible pavement design features were selected to test the degree of influence of the frame's variables. The analysis evaluated these variables and examined their impact on the results. The study concludes that the cost effectiveness ratio from the two design methods shows that the lowest cost-effectiveness ratio using Al-Qadi's design method is 1.7 and the highest is 3.2. The average is 2.6. For Perkins' design method, the lowest value is 1.01 and the highest value is 5.7. The average is 2.1. The study also shows when user costs are considered, the greater TBR value may not result in the most effective life-cycle cost. Hence, for an optimum secondary road flexible pavement design with geotextile incorporated in the system, a life cycle cost analysis that includes user cost must be performed. / Master of Science

O número de concessões rodoviárias tem aumentado em todo o mundo. Somente no Brasil, desde 1995, três etapas de concessão já foram realizadas pelo governo federal. No estado de São Paulo, as concessões estão em sua segunda etapa. Uma das principais justificativas para as concessões rodoviárias é a melhoria da condição dos pavimentos. Sendo assim, este trabalho buscou avaliar os benefícios oriundos da melhor conservação dos pavimentos, em termos da irregularidade longitudinal, diretamente relacionada com os custos de operação dos veículos (custos dos usuários: consumo de combustível, desgaste de pneus, tempo de viagem etc.), comparando com os custos por pagamento de pedágio. Para tanto, foram selecionados, através da análise de cluster, três trechos distintos, de tal forma que se tivesse, pelo menos, um segmento do modelo da ANTT da primeira etapa, um segmento do modelo da ANTT da segunda etapa e um segmento do modelo da ARTESP. Os custos de operação dos veículos foram determinados com uso do software HDM-4 e a análise econômica considerou o Valor Presente Líquido (VPL), a Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR) e a Relação Benefício/Custo (B/C). As alternativas consideradas na análise simularam as exigências contratuais presentes no programa CREMA e no Programa de Exploração da Rodovia (PER) da ANTT. A condição \"base\" para as análises simulou um cenário limite para intervenção no pavimento, onde a mesma só ocorria com irregularidades muito elevadas. Após a realização das simulações, concluiu-se que o método do VPL era o mais adequado para as análises, pois todos os trechos apresentaram custos aos usuários maiores do que os benefícios observados. Ao se realizar análise complementar, com limites de irregularidade ainda maiores para a condição \"base\", somente o modelo da ANTT da segunda etapa justificou economicamente a concessão, do ponto de vista dos usuários. Conclui-se, portanto, que existem evidências de que as concessões rodoviárias no Brasil não têm melhorado a condição dos pavimentos a ponto de ser justificada economicamente, decorrendo a sugestão para que as próximas concessões acarretem custos de pedágio menores ou apresentem um maior número de obras com impacto significativo na redução do tempo de viagem e no aumento da segurança dos usuários. / The number of road concessions has increased worldwide. Only in Brazil, since 1995, three concession stages have already been carried out by the federal government. In the state of São Paulo, the concessions are in its second stage. One of the main justifications for road concessions is the improvement of pavement condition. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the benefits of better pavement conservation in terms of longitudinal roughness, directly related to vehicle operating costs (user costs: fuel consumption, tire wear, travel time, etc.), comparing it to toll payment costs. In order to do so, three distinct sections were selected through the cluster analysis, so that there was at least one segment of the ANTT model of the first stage, a segment of the ANTT model of the second stage and a segment of the model of ARTESP. Vehicle operating costs were determined using the HDM-4 software and the economic analysis considered the Net Present Value (NPV), the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and the Benefit/Cost Ratio (B/C). The alternatives considered in the analysis simulated the contractual requirements present in the CREMA program and in the ANTT Highway Exploration Program (HEP). The \"base\" condition for the analyzes simulated a limit scenario for intervention in the pavement, where it only occurred with very high roughness. After the simulations, it was concluded that the NPV method was the most appropriate for the analyzes, since all the stretches presented costs to users greater than the observed benefits. When performing complementary analysis, with even greater limits of roughness for the \"base\" condition, only the ANTT model of the second stage economically justified the concession, from the users point of view. It is concluded, therefore, that there is evidence that the road concessions in Brazil have not improved the condition of the pavements to the point of being economically justified, suggesting that the next concessions bring lower toll costs or present a greater number of works with significant impact on reducing travel time and increasing user safety.

O número de concessões rodoviárias tem aumentado em todo o mundo. Somente no Brasil, desde 1995, três etapas de concessão já foram realizadas pelo governo federal. No estado de São Paulo, as concessões estão em sua segunda etapa. Uma das principais justificativas para as concessões rodoviárias é a melhoria da condição dos pavimentos. Sendo assim, este trabalho buscou avaliar os benefícios oriundos da melhor conservação dos pavimentos, em termos da irregularidade longitudinal, diretamente relacionada com os custos de operação dos veículos (custos dos usuários: consumo de combustível, desgaste de pneus, tempo de viagem etc.), comparando com os custos por pagamento de pedágio. Para tanto, foram selecionados, através da análise de cluster, três trechos distintos, de tal forma que se tivesse, pelo menos, um segmento do modelo da ANTT da primeira etapa, um segmento do modelo da ANTT da segunda etapa e um segmento do modelo da ARTESP. Os custos de operação dos veículos foram determinados com uso do software HDM-4 e a análise econômica considerou o Valor Presente Líquido (VPL), a Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR) e a Relação Benefício/Custo (B/C). As alternativas consideradas na análise simularam as exigências contratuais presentes no programa CREMA e no Programa de Exploração da Rodovia (PER) da ANTT. A condição \"base\" para as análises simulou um cenário limite para intervenção no pavimento, onde a mesma só ocorria com irregularidades muito elevadas. Após a realização das simulações, concluiu-se que o método do VPL era o mais adequado para as análises, pois todos os trechos apresentaram custos aos usuários maiores do que os benefícios observados. Ao se realizar análise complementar, com limites de irregularidade ainda maiores para a condição \"base\", somente o modelo da ANTT da segunda etapa justificou economicamente a concessão, do ponto de vista dos usuários. Conclui-se, portanto, que existem evidências de que as concessões rodoviárias no Brasil não têm melhorado a condição dos pavimentos a ponto de ser justificada economicamente, decorrendo a sugestão para que as próximas concessões acarretem custos de pedágio menores ou apresentem um maior número de obras com impacto significativo na redução do tempo de viagem e no aumento da segurança dos usuários. / The number of road concessions has increased worldwide. Only in Brazil, since 1995, three concession stages have already been carried out by the federal government. In the state of São Paulo, the concessions are in its second stage. One of the main justifications for road concessions is the improvement of pavement condition. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the benefits of better pavement conservation in terms of longitudinal roughness, directly related to vehicle operating costs (user costs: fuel consumption, tire wear, travel time, etc.), comparing it to toll payment costs. In order to do so, three distinct sections were selected through the cluster analysis, so that there was at least one segment of the ANTT model of the first stage, a segment of the ANTT model of the second stage and a segment of the model of ARTESP. Vehicle operating costs were determined using the HDM-4 software and the economic analysis considered the Net Present Value (NPV), the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and the Benefit/Cost Ratio (B/C). The alternatives considered in the analysis simulated the contractual requirements present in the CREMA program and in the ANTT Highway Exploration Program (HEP). The \"base\" condition for the analyzes simulated a limit scenario for intervention in the pavement, where it only occurred with very high roughness. After the simulations, it was concluded that the NPV method was the most appropriate for the analyzes, since all the stretches presented costs to users greater than the observed benefits. When performing complementary analysis, with even greater limits of roughness for the \"base\" condition, only the ANTT model of the second stage economically justified the concession, from the users point of view. It is concluded, therefore, that there is evidence that the road concessions in Brazil have not improved the condition of the pavements to the point of being economically justified, suggesting that the next concessions bring lower toll costs or present a greater number of works with significant impact on reducing travel time and increasing user safety.

The structural behaviour of pavements in cold regions can considerably be affected by seasonal variation in environmental factors such as temperature and moisture content. Along with the destructive effect of heavy traffic loads, climatic and environmental factors can considerably contribute to pavement deterioration. These factors can influence the structural and functional capacity of the pavement structures which, as a result, can trigger and accelerate pavement deterioration mechanisms. Studies on the influence of variation of the environmental factors on the response and behaviour of pavement materials have shown that proper consideration to these factors must be given in realistic pavement design and analysis. In flexible pavement structures, particularly with a thin hot mix asphalt (HMA) layer, unbound materials and subgrade soil largely contribute to the overall structural behaviour of the pavement system. In unbound materials, moisture content and its variation can significantly affect pavement layer stiffness and permanent deformation characteristics. Therefore, the moisture condition of pavements and its influence on the mechanical behaviour of pavement materials has been of interest among the pavement research community. A proper understanding of moisture transformation in pavement systems and its effects on pavement performance are important for mechanistic pavement design. The present summary of this doctoral thesis is based on four main parts. The first part of the thesis covers field measurements and findings from a test section along county road 126 in southern Sweden and consists of two journal papers (paper I and II) tackling different aspects of the research topic. This test section is located in a relatively wet ground condition and consists of a thin flexible pavement structure with a deep drainage system. It is instrumented with subsurface temperature, volumetric moisture content and groundwater probes. The mechanical response of the pavement structure was investigated using Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) measurements. The second part of the thesis (paper III and IV) are based on laboratory experiments and investigates different recent approaches that have been proposed to apply principles of unsaturated soil mechanics for incorporating seasonal variation of moisture content into the resilient modulus models using matric suction. The third part of the thesis (paper V) builds a bridge that spans between the laboratory and field investigations with an attempt to evaluate one of the predictive models presented in Paper III. The fourth part of the thesis (paper VI) mainly focuses on the laboratory-based investigation of the permanent deformation characteristic of subgrade soils. In this part, the permanent deformation characteristics of two different silty sand subgrade soils were investigated and modelled using the data obtained from repeated load traxial tests. Paper I mainly focuses on the spring-thaw weakening of the pavement structure. The environmental data collected using different sensors and the FWD tests were used to investigate variations in moisture content with thaw penetration and its influence on the stiffness of unbound layers and the pavement’s overall bearing capacity. Using the backcalculated layer stiffness and corresponding in situ moisture measurements in the unbound layers, a degree of saturation-based moisture-stiffness model was developed for the granular material and the subgrade. In Paper II, the drainage system of the structure was manually clogged during a three month period in summer to raise the groundwater level and increase the moisture content of the layers. Along with the subsurface groundwater level and moisture content monitoring, the structural response of the pavement was studied. In this research work, the FWD tests were conducted at three different load levels. The stress dependent behaviour of the unbound granular layer and the subgrade soil were further studied using the multilevel loads FWD test data. Additionally, parameters of a nonlinear stress-dependent stiffness model were backcalculated and their sensitivity to in situ moisture content was studied. In Paper III and IV, series of suction-controlled repeated load triaxial (RLT) tests were conducted on two silty sand (SM) subgrade materials. Several resilient modulus prediction models that account for seasonal moisture content variation through matric suction were summarized and after optimizing the model parameters, the capability of the prediction models in capturing the material response were evaluated. In Paper V, an attempt was made to evaluate the proficiency of one of the suction-resilient modulus models using the field moisture content and FWD measurements from the Torpsbruk test site. The backcalculated subgrade stiffness dataset at different moisture contents were compared with resilient modulus models obtained from the suction-resilient modulus predictive model. Paper VI presents an evaluation of several permanent deformation models for unbound pavement materials that incorporate the time-hardening concept using a series of multistage repeated load triaxial (RLT) tests conducted on silty sand subgrade materials. The permanent deformation tests were conducted at four different moisture contents with pore suctions measurement throughout the test. The effect of moisture content (matric suction) on the permanent deformation characteristics of the materials and the predictive model parameters were further investigated. / <p>QC 20150324</p>

En la actualidad la congestión vehicular es un problema de muchas ciudades del mundo. Este problema no solo se ha convertido en un sinónimo de estrés y ansiedad para algunas personas, sino que también se ha convertido en un reto para los expertos en Pavimentos. La congestión no solo implica un alto incremento de carga sobre las vías, sino que también implica cambios en las propiedades mecánicas del pavimento. La velocidad vehicular, temperatura y la sobrecarga del pavimento dentro del tráfico son componentes que sin duda se deben ver reflejados en una metodología, ya que estos están alterando la vida útil de las vías.  La presente investigación propone una metodología empírica de determinación del módulo de elasticidad en una carpeta asfáltica. Dentro de esta nueva propuesta se incluyen conceptos que no se han tomado en cuenta: la influencia de la congestión. El experimento de comparación se realizó entre una vía a temperatura de congestión y sin congestión, 35°C y 25 °C respectivamente. Este método fue verificado mediante el uso de fórmulas y ensayos de módulo de elasticidad. / Currently, traffic congestion is a problem in many cities around the world. This problem has not only become synonymous with stress and anxiety for some people, but it has also become a challenge for flooring experts. Congestion not only implies a high increase in load on the roads, but also implies changes in the mechanical properties of the pavement. Vehicle speed, temperature and pavement overload within traffic are components that should undoubtedly be reflected in a methodology, since these are altering the useful life of the roads. This research proposes an empirical methodology for determining the modulus of elasticity in an asphalt mat. This new proposal includes concepts that have not been considered: the influence of congestion. The comparison experiment was carried out between a pathway at a congestion temperature and without congestion, 35 ° C and 25 ° C, respectively. This method was verified by using formulas and modulus of elasticity tests. / Trabajo de investigación

The primary objective of this research was to quantify the improvement in service life of a flexible pavement constructed using full-depth reclamation (FDR) in conjunction with cement stabilization when specified reductions in the spatial variability of specific construction-related parameters are achieved. This study analyzed pavement data obtained through field and laboratory testing of a reconstruction project in northern Utah. Data analyses included multivariate regression, Monte Carlo simulation, and mechanistic-empirical analyses of a model pavement structure. The results of the research show a steadily increasing trend in 28-day unconfined compressive strength of the cement-treated base (CTB) layer with increasing reductions in variability for cement content, moisture content, and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content across each of five different reliability levels. The most significant increases in CTB strength occurred with reductions in the standard deviations of moisture content and RAP content. Decreasing the variability of cement content did not provide significant additional strength to the CTB layer. Therefore, when involved on FDR projects, members of the pavement industry should focus energy on reducing the variability of both moisture content and RAP content, which both significantly impact pavement life, to achieve high-quality, long-lasting pavements.

Full-depth reclamation (FDR) in conjunction with cement stabilization is an established practice for rehabilitating deteriorating asphalt roads. Conventionally, FDR uses dry cement powder applied with a pneumatic spreader, creating undesirable fugitive cement dust. The cement dust poses a nuisance and, when inhaled, a health threat. Consequently, FDR in conjunction with conventional cement stabilization cannot generally be used in urban areas. To solve the problem of fugitive cement dust, the use of cement slurry, prepared by combining cement powder and water, has been proposed to allow cement stabilization to be utilized in urban areas. However, using cement slurry introduces several factors not associated with using dry cement that may affect road base strength, dry density (DD), and moisture content (MC). The objectives of this research were to 1) identify construction-related factors that influence the strength of road base treated with cement slurry in conjunction with FDR and quantify the effects of these factors and 2) compare the strength of road base treated with cement slurry with that of road base treated with dry cement. To achieve the research objectives, road base taken from an FDR project was subjected to extensive full-factorial laboratory testing. The 7-day unconfined compressive strength (UCS), DD, and MC were measured as dependent variables, while independent variables included cement content; slurry water batching temperature; cement slurry aging temperature; cement slurry aging time; presence of a set-retarding, water-reducing admixture; and aggregate-slurry mixing time. This research suggests that, when road base is stabilized with cement slurry in conjunction with FDR, the slurry water batching temperature; haul time; environmental temperature; and presence of a set-retarding, water-reducing admixture will not significantly affect the strength of CTB, provided that those factors fall within the limits explored in this research and are applied to a road base with similar properties. Cement content and cement-aggregate mixing time are positively correlated with the strength of CTB regardless of cement form. Additionally, using cement slurry will result in slightly lower strength values than using dry cement.

The purpose of this study is to assist TxDOT engineers in the field of traffic control planning. This is to be done via the creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) based tool. By bringing together information about TxDOT’s on-system roadways’ geographical locations, traffic demands, and capacities, one aggregate database has been established. Using the tools of GIS, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and VBA programming, a static clickable interface has been constructed. It enables users to access properties for any selected roadway link they desire. Expansion of the product to ArcIMS is ongoing to allow easy access for end users via the internet. / text

For the past three decades, geosynthetics have been recognized as materials that can significantly improve the performance of pavements on weak subgrade. Pavements exhibit non-linear elasto-plastic behavior. The addition of geosynthetics is undoubtedly beneficial. This being said, researchers have concentrated more on lower life cycle cost and high benefit-cost ratio whereas much less attention has been given to the complex behavior of the reinforced pavement system. Comprehension of the short-term and long-term field performance of reinforced pavements under continued traffic and cyclic environmental loading has remained unexplored. There is empirical evidence indicating quantitative benefits of reinforced versus unreinforced pavement structure. However, quantification of the relative benefits of different types of reinforcement like geogrids and geotextiles lacks information. Further, evaluation of the benefits and comparison of chemical stabilization in the form of lime treatment with mechanical stabilization in the form of reinforcement for pavements on soft soils has received lack of attention. In view of this, full-scale instrumented reinforced and lime treated pavement sections with different schemes were studied. Regular Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing was conducted in a Farm-to-Market Road, in Grimes County, Texas. Three different geosynthetic products were used for base reinforcement and lime treatment was used for subbase stabilization. Deflection measurements for 9 field trips in 3.5 years were evaluated. Modified deflection basin parameters (DBPs) were defined to typically identify layer properties and were used to measure the relative damage to the base, subbase and subgrade for different sections. A modified Base Damage Index (BDI) and a modified Base Curvature Index (BCI) were defined as a part of this study to capture the benefit of reinforced base and lime stabilized subbase respectively. The variation in the DBPs over three periods of wetting and drying along with explanation of the observed trends forms a part of this research. In addition, a number of condition surveys were performed, during 3 years, to visually identify distresses in various sections. A unique distress quantification technique was developed for measuring deterioration of the pavement sections in terms of the observed distresses and FWD measurements. With this, an index of pavement performance was developed. Thus, the FWD deflection data analyses complemented by visual observation, reveals important information on performance of different geosynthetics with the same base course. Analysis of the field performance of the multiple experimental sections throws light on the relative merits of base reinforcement against lime stabilization. / text