Subgrade Undercut Criteria Based on Modeling of Rutting and Pumping Response
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 10
Abstract
The stability of subgrade soils is a major concern during roadway construction with inappropriately soft layers often undercut and replaced by competent or stabilized materials. Systematic undercut criteria are established using numerical modeling with varying the strength and stiffness parameters of the subgrade and representing the mechanistic behavior as an elastic-perfectly plastic medium. Two modes of domain configurations were considered: the plane strain and axisymmetric conditions. The plane strain mode is assumed to simulate proof roller loading with four parallel tires and mainly provides information about excessive pumping response as materials at deeper layers are affected. The axisymmetric mode provides information related to excessive rutting and is used to simulate the effect of single or dual tires representing construction traffic, rather than a series of closely spaced axle loads. Undercut criteria are proposed for meeting a deformation limit state of 25 mm for both pumping and rutting, with the additional requirement of a performance capacity ratio (PCR) of 1.5. The proposed criteria are applied to data from four field cases in which decisions were made regarding the need for undercutting, and the applicability of the criteria is discussed.
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Acknowledgments
The research reported in this paper was funded by a grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Njoroge Wainaina was the chair of the committee overseeing the study, and the input of the committee members through the progress of the research is greatly appreciated.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 10 • October 2012
Pages: 1175 - 1184
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 18, 2011
Accepted: Jan 9, 2012
Published online: Jan 11, 2012
Published in print: Oct 1, 2012
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