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Cover of Improved Laboratory Characterisation of the Deformation Properties of Granular Materials
Improved Laboratory Characterisation of the Deformation Properties of Granular Materials
  • Publication no: AP-T324-17
  • ISBN: 978-1-925451-99-3
  • Published: 8 August 2017

This report examines the capacity of the extra-large wheel-tracking laboratory test method to predict the in-service performance of granular materials.

Rutting is a common distress mode of unbound granular bases under thin bituminous surfacings.

Five granular bases were tested for rut-resistance under accelerated loading and the results compared to a number of laboratory characterisation tests. The laboratory tests included large-scale wheel tracking, repeat load triaxial and shear strength.

It was concluded that the large-scale wheel-tracking test was the best available test to rank granular base rut-resistance. It is a useful performance-based test, which can lead to significant cost saving by optimising the use of otherwise non-traditional locally available aggregate resources.

  • Summary
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1. Background
    • 1.2. Project Objective and Outline
    • 1.3. Report Outline
  • 2. Findings of Previous Wheel-tracking and RLT Testing Research
    • 2.1. Introduction
    • 2.2. Austroads RLT Findings
    • 2.3. Findings of Wheel-tracking Testing
  • 3. Properties of Materials Selected for Evaluation
    • 3.1. General
    • 3.2. Results of Basic Characterisation Testing
  • 4. Full-scale Accelerated Loading Program
    • 4.1. Introduction
    • 4.2. Pavement Composition
    • 4.3. Loading Conditions
    • 4.4. Test Pavement Layout
    • 4.5. Experiments
    • 4.6. As-constructed Pavement Conditions
    • 4.7. Moisture Control and Management
      • 4.7.1. Increase in Moisture Content
    • 4.8. Pavement Condition Data
      • 4.8.1. Surface Deflection
      • 4.8.2. Moisture Content
      • 4.8.3. Dry Density
      • 4.8.4. Surface Deformation
  • 5. Performance During Accelerated Loading
    • 5.1. Introduction
    • 5.2. Uniformity of Test Sections
    • 5.3. Analysis of Deformation Data
      • 5.3.1. Adjustment for Bedding-in
      • 5.3.2. Prediction Model
      • 5.3.3. Results
    • 5.4. Effect of Moisture Content on Performance
      • 5.4.1. Deformation-moisture Prediction Models
      • 5.4.2. Comparison of Performance (10 mm Deformation)
      • 5.4.3. Comparison of Performance (Deformation after 200 000 Passes)
    • 5.5. Summary
  • 6. Evaluation of Laboratory Wheel-Tracking Test
    • 6.1. Introduction
    • 6.2. Summary of the Wheel-tracking Method
      • 6.2.1. Terminology
      • 6.2.2. Specimen Preparation
      • 6.2.3. Test Method
      • 6.2.4. Achieved Specimen Properties
    • 6.3. Performance Parameters and Analysis
      • 6.3.1. Laboratory Wheel-tracking Performance Analysis
      • 6.3.2. Wheel-tracking Deformation Model
    • 6.4. Results of Laboratory Wheel-tracking Testing
      • 6.4.1. Testing Program
      • 6.4.2. Wheel-tracking Results
    • 6.5. Effect of Moisture on Deformation Under Wheel Tracking
      • 6.5.1. Moisture Sensitivity Model
      • 6.5.2. Influence of Measured Density on Performance
      • 6.5.3. Comparison of Material Performance
      • 6.5.4. Comparison of Surface Deformation for Given Number of Cycles
      • 6.5.5. Effect of Degree of Saturation
    • 6.6. Performance Ranking from the Wheel-tracking Test Compared to Accelerated Loading
  • 7. Evaluation of Austroads Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT) Test
    • 7.1. Introduction
    • 7.2. Testing Conditions
    • 7.3. Test Densities and Moisture Contents
    • 7.4. Results
    • 7.5. Effect of Moisture Content on Permanent Deformation
    • 7.6. Ranking of Performance
    • 7.7. Comparison of Ranking from Austroads RLT Test and Accelerated Loading
  • 8. Evaluation of the TMR Repeated Load Triaxial Test
    • 8.1. Test Method
    • 8.2. Test Densities and Moisture Contents
    • 8.3. Results
    • 8.4. Ranking of Performance: TMR RLT Test Compared to Accelerated Loading
  • 9. Evaluation of Static Shear Strength Test
    • 9.1. Introduction
    • 9.2. Pavement Stress Analysis
    • 9.3. Test Method
    • 9.4. Results
    • 9.5. Effect of Moisture Content on Performance
    • 9.6. Comparison of Shear Strength Results with Performance under Accelerated Loading
  • 10. Conclusions
  • References
  • Appendix A Summary of Data Obtained in Accelerated Loading Experiments
  • Appendix B Deformation Prediction Models Calculated from Accelerated Loading Data
  • Appendix C Moisture Sensitivity Models Fitted to Accelerated Loading Data
  • Appendix D Laboratory Wheel-tracking Density Data
  • Appendix E Laboratory Wheel-Track Deformation Prediction Model
  • Appendix F Laboratory Wheel-tracking Performance
  • F.1 Cycles to 10 mm Deformation
  • F.2 Effect of Deformation Level on Performance Ranking
  • F.3 Moisture Sensitivity Including Extra Data
  • F.4 Level of Deformation at Different Cycle Numbers
  • F.5 Performance Ranking Based on Rut Depth
  • Appendix G TMR Repeat Load Triaxial Testing
  • G.1 Introduction
  • G.2 Summary of TMR Test Method
  • G.3 Maximum Dry Density and Optimum Moisture Content
  • G.4 Results of RLT testing
  • G.4.1 Test Densities and Moisture Contents
  • G.5 Permanent Deformation Results
  • Appendix H Shear Strength Testing Results
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