Airfields and Roads Construction Using Fiber Stabilization of Sands
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 127, Issue 2
Abstract
This paper describes laboratory and field tests conducted using a new fiber stabilization technique for sands. Laboratory unconfined compression tests using 51 mm long monofilament polypropylene fibers to stabilize a poorly graded (SP) sand showed an optimum fiber content of 1% (by dry weight). Field test sections were constructed and traffic tested using simulated C-130 aircraft traffic with a 13,608 kg tire load at 690 kPa tire pressure and a 4,536 kg military cargo truck loaded to a gross weight of 18,870 kg. Test results showed that sand-fiber stabilization over a sand subgrade supported over 1,000 passes of a C-130 tire load with less than 51 mm of rutting. The top 102 mm of the sand-fiber layer was lightly stabilized with tree resin to provide a wearing surface. Based on limited truck traffic tests, 203 mm thick sand-fiber layer, surfaced with a spray application of tree resin, would support substantial amounts of military truck traffic.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Ahlrich, R. C., and Tidwell, L. E. ( 1994). “Contingency airfield construction: mechanical stabilization using monofilament and fabrillated fibers.” Tech. Rep. GL-94-2, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
2.
Annual book of ASTM standards. (1998). ASTM, West Conshohocken, Pa.
3.
Freitag, D. R. (1986). “Soil randomly reinforced with fibers.”J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 112(8), 823–826.
4.
Gray, D. H., and Al-Refeai, T. (1986). “Behavior of fabric versus fiber-reinforced sand.”J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 112(8), 804–820.
5.
Grogan, W. P., and Johnson, W. G. ( 1993). “Stabilization of high plasticity clay and silty sand by inclusion of discrete fibrillated polypropylene fibers for use in pavement subgrades.” Tech. Rep. CPAR-GL-93-3, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
6.
Headquarters, Departments of the Army and Air Force. ( 1994). “Planning and design of roads, airfields, and heliports in the theater of operations—road design.” Rep. FM 5-430-00-1/AFJPAM 32-8013, Vol. I, Washington, D.C.
7.
Maher, M. H., and Ho, Y. C. (1994). “Mechanical properties of kaolinite/fiber soil composite.”J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 120(8), 1381–1393.
8.
Al-Refeai, T. ( 1991). “Behavior of granular soils reinforced with discrete randomly oriented inclusions.” Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 10, 319–333.
9.
〈http://www.sspco.org/ roadoyl.html〉.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 127 • Issue 2 • April 2001
Pages: 96 - 104
History
Received: Mar 6, 2000
Published online: Apr 1, 2001
Published in print: Apr 2001
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.