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Cover of Improved Rut Resistance Characterisation of Granular Bases - Manufacture and Commissioning of a Wheel-tracking Device
Improved Rut Resistance Characterisation of Granular Bases - Manufacture and Commissioning of a Wheel-tracking Device
  • Publication no: AP-T239-13
  • ISBN: 978-1-921991-98-1
  • Published: 10 May 2013

To assess permanent deformation of granular materials repeated triaxial tests are currently used. A previous research project highlighted interest in using a wheel-tracking test to obtain a better agreement with field performance.

A new wheel-tracker was developed and manufactured for granular material characterisation. The device also included a compactor to prepare the slab to be tested. The machine was developed and manufactured by IPC Global and delivered to ARRB Group in May 2011.

Commissioning the machine has resulted in testing the ability of the device for compacting granular slabs. The specimens were then used to test the tracking. The trials have highlighted some slight changes needed to the prototype and refinements of the software.

It is concluded that the first trials gave encouraging results for granular material characterisation. Further research will be undertaken to derive a test method and to compare the rutting data with results obtained previously from experimental pavements.

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Specifications
    • 2.1. General
    • 2.2. Specification for Compaction
    • 2.3. Specification for Wheel-tracking
      • 2.3.1. Large Device
      • 2.3.2. Extra-large Device
  • 3. Machine Description
    • 3.1. Design Concept
    • 3.2. Machine Components
    • 3.3. Compaction and Tracking Configuration
    • 3.4. Laser Arm
    • 3.5. Transducers
      • 3.5.1. Positioning Transducers
      • 3.5.2. Force Transducer
      • 3.5.3. Displacement Transducer
      • 3.5.4. Distance Transducer
    • 3.6. Safety Switches
  • 4. Software description
    • 4.1. Compaction
    • 4.2. Wheel-tracking
  • 5. Compaction assessment
    • 5.1. Compaction Procedures
    • 5.2. Compaction Control
    • 5.3. Compaction Operation on Solid Slab
    • 5.4. Compaction of Granular Materials
    • 5.5. Conclusions from the Compaction Trials
  • 6. Laser measurements assessment
    • 6.1. Laser Scanning Measurements
    • 6.2. Laser Scanning Stability
  • 7. Wheel-Tracking tests
    • 7.1. First Tracking Tests on Dummy Specimens
    • 7.2. Test Repeatability on a Granular Material
  • 8. Troubleshooting During Commissioning
  • 9. Conclusions
  • References
  • Appendix A Formulas used in the software
  • A.1 Laser Measurements
  • A.2 Average Rut Calculation
  • Appendix B Material characteristics
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