Laboratory Evaluation of the Geogauge and Light Falling Weight Deflectometer as Construction Control Tools
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 17, Issue 5
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to assess the potential use of the geogauge and the light falling weight deflectometer (LFWD) as quality control/quality assurance devices for testing subgrades, base courses, and compacted soil layers. A comprehensive laboratory experimental program was conducted on compacted layers of silty clay, clayey silt, cement-treated clay, sand, gravel, recycled asphalt pavement, and limestone aggregates. The geogauge, LFWD, static plate load test (PLT), and the dynamic cone penetration (DCP) measurements were acquired for the constructed layers. The geogauge elastic modulus and the LFWD dynamic modulus were correlated with the PLT initial and reloading elastic moduli and with the DCP penetration rates. The results of this study show that the geogauge and the LFWD can be used to calculate the elastic modulus/stiffness characteristics of compacted layers. Whereas the geogauge and the LFWD determined the initial modulus of the cement-treated clay, they did not yield accurate measurements of strength gain with time. Good statistical correlations were found between elastic moduli measured by the devices used in this investigation.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledged the financial support provided by the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC Project No. 02-1GT) and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (State Project No. 736-02-0995). The comments and suggestions of Mark Morvant, Pavement and Geotechnical Administrator are also highly appreciated.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 17 • Issue 5 • October 2005
Pages: 560 - 569
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: May 18, 2004
Accepted: Sep 24, 2004
Published online: Oct 1, 2005
Published in print: Oct 2005
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: John S. Popovics
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