Characteristics of Resilient Modulus of Weathered Phyllite Subgrade during Saturation Process
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavements
Volume 148, Issue 2
Abstract
The gradation and water content have a significant influence on the resilient modulus of strongly weathered phyllite subgrade. In this study, small-scale plate loading tests were conducted on large cylindrical specimens 600 mm in diameter and 450 mm high during the saturation process. The specimens comprised strongly weathered phyllite with varying rock content (0%, 35%, 55%, and 75%). The volumetric water content of each specimen was monitored continuously during the tests. The results demonstrated that the moisture migration rate was largest during the first 5 days of saturation, and the resilient modulus decreased sharply. This was followed by a slight increase in the resilient modulus during the next 10 days of saturation owing to the optimal structure induced by the test loading condition. The results also demonstrated that the resilient modulus of the coarser-grained specimen decreased slightly during the saturation process. A numerical model was established to analyze the stress state of asphalt pavement structure considering the reduction in subgrade resilient modulus. The results obtained from the numerical model indicated that the reduction in subgrade strength could lead to a significant increase of pavement deformation and shear stress.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request (data set), including the test results for plate loading tests and the FLAC3D code to create the asphalt pavement road.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51878064), the science and technology project “Research on Key Technology of Composite Foundation in High Latitude and Low Altitude Island Frozen Soil” of the Transportation Department of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the reconstruction project “Research on Key Technology of Subgrade and Bridge Pile Foundation Construction in High Altitude Permafrost Region” of Qinghai Provincial Highway 224, and the Chang’an University Short-Term Study Abroad Program for Postgraduate Students. The authors gratefully acknowledge their financial support.
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Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavements
Volume 148 • Issue 2 • June 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Oct 14, 2020
Accepted: Dec 14, 2021
Published online: Mar 28, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 28, 2022
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