Feasibility of SAA to Monitor Freeze–Thaw Performance of Pavement Foundations in Cold Regions
Publication: Cold Regions Engineering 2024: Sustainable and Resilient Engineering Solutions for Changing Cold Regions
ABSTRACT
Frost heave and thaw weakening have a significant impact on the performance of pavement foundations in cold regions, leading to structural damage. Road agencies use different approaches, including seasonal load restrictions (SLR), to minimize the impact of this damage. Accurate and continuous measurement of displacements caused by frost action is crucial for agencies to assess the condition and behavior of pavement foundations. Existing methods, such as vehicle-mounted laser sensors and surveying equipment, have limitations in capturing the temporal distribution of displacement in roadways. Shape array accelerometers (SAA) can measure the ground’s displacement in real time and come with temperature sensors that provide temperature measurements at its location. This study discusses the installation procedure and evaluates the effectiveness of SAA in characterizing frost heave–thaw settlement of flexible pavements. SAA was installed along the cross-section of a flexible pavement within the Minnesota Road Research Facility (MnROAD) mainline on Westbound I-94 near Albertville, Minnesota. Minnesota falls in the wet-freeze climatic region, making it highly susceptible to freeze–thaw damage. The collected displacement and temperature dataset for the 2022–2023 freeze–thaw season was analyzed, and maximum settlement of 3.5 and 10.3 mm were observed in the shoulder and passing lane, respectively. The temperature data indicated that the ground started to settle when thermocouple readings went below freezing, suggesting ice lens formation, resulting in the contraction of the soil structure. After the spring thaw, a maximum residual settlement of 6.6 mm remained along the wheel paths, but the ground eventually stabilized once the thawing was complete. The efficacy of SAA in capturing real-time displacement data indicates its potential for broader implementation in similar climatic conditions.
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Cold Regions Engineering 2024: Sustainable and Resilient Engineering Solutions for Changing Cold Regions
Pages: 450 - 460
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Published online: May 9, 2024
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