Highway Subgrade Construction in Expansive Soil Areas
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 21, Issue 4
Abstract
Engineering problems with expansive soils in subgrades complicate highway construction in expansive soil areas of China. To research and solve the engineering problems, a Chinese research group carried out extensive research as part of the construction of a highway in Ningming Basin, a typical expansive soil area in China. The research on Ningming expansive soils is presented, including laboratory studies of soil properties, modified California bearing ratio tests for evaluating the bearing capacity, and wet compaction tests for obtaining the parameters to control field compaction when using expansive soils as embankment fill. The field investigations of slope failures also are introduced, including analysis of the investigations. New techniques for using expansive soils in embankments, and stabilizing cut slopes consisting of expansive soils, were developed and applied into the trial sections of the highway by the research group, based on their research and investigations. The measures proved successful and were used to solve the technical problems related to the NanYou Highway subgrade construction. The outcomes of the research also may prove useful in the construction of such projects as railway and hydraulic works.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This research was sponsored by the Ministry of Communications of the People’s Republic of China (Grant No. 2002.31800015). The assistance of the Construction Management Department of the NanYou Highway project is gratefully acknowledged.
References
Bao, C. G. (2004). “Behavior of unsaturated soil and stability of expansive soil slop.” Chinese J. Geotech. Eng., 26(1), 24–35.
Chen, A. J. (2004). “An experimental study of the use of lime to improve expansive soil embankments on the Nan-You Highway.” MSc thesis, Changsha Univ. of Science and Technology, Changsha, China.
Hamberg, D. J. (1985). “A simplified method for predicting heave in expansive soils.” MSc thesis, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, Colo.
Hu, M. J., Liu G. S., Kong L. W., and Chen S. X. (2004). “Expansive soil character later test verification on freeway embankment treatment.” Rock Soil Mech., 25(9), 1418–1420.
Lambe, T. W. (1960). “The character and identification of expansive soil.” Federal Housing Administration Rep. 701, U.S. Government Print Office, Washington, D.C.
Li, S. L., Qin, S. J., and Bo, Z. Z. (1992). Studies on the engineering geology of expansive soils in China, Jiangsu Science and Technology Publishing House, Nanjing, China, 212.
Liao, S. W. (1984). Expansive soil and railway engineering, Chinese Railway Publishing Press, Beijing, 374.
Mao, Y. C. (2006). “Tests on the feasibility of using expansive soil as embankment fill.” MSc thesis, Changsha Univ. of Science and Technology, Changsha, China.
Ministry of Communications of the People’s Republic of China (CMOC). (1996a). Technical specifications for the construction of highway subgrades JTJ033-95., Renmin Communication Press, Beijing.
Ministry of Communications of the People’s Republic of China (CMOC). (2003). Specifications for the design of highway subgrades JTJ013-2002, Renmin Communication Press, Beijing, 156.
Ministry of Communications Second Highway Survey Design and Research Institute of China (CMOC). (1996b). Handbook of design for highway subgrades, 2nd Ed., Renmin Communication Press, Beijing, 407.
Nelson, J. D., and Miller, D. J. (1992). Expansive soils: Problem and practice in foundation and pavement engineering, Wiley, New York.
Newill, D., and O’Connell, M. J. (1993). “TRL: Research on road construction in arid areas.” Proc., 1st Int. Symp. on Engineering Characteristics of Arid Soils, City University, London.
Peng, D. T. (1990). “Expansive soils in Guangxi.” Proc., 1st Chinese Symp. on Expansive Soils, Southwest Jiaotong Univerisy, Chengdu, 121–126.
Thomas, P. J., Baker, J. C., and Zelazny, L. W. (2000). “An expansive soil index for predicting shrink–swell potential.” Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 64, 268–274.
Uzan, J. (1998). “Characterization of clayey subgrade materials for mechanistic design of flexible pavements.” Transportation Research Record. 1629, National Research Council, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D. C., 188–196.
Wei, T. Z. (1990). “Some factors influencing on deformation of foundation on expansive soil in Guangxi.” Proc., 1st Chinese Symp. on Expansive Soils, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 232–238.
Yang, H. P. (1999). “Approach to strengthening expansive soil embankment side slope with geogrid.” Chinese J. Highw., 16(3), 42–46.
Yang, H. P., Qu, Y. X., and Zheng, J. L. (2005). “New developments in studies of Ningming expansive soils.” Chinese J. Geotech. Eng., 17(9), 981–987.
Yao, H. L., and Yang Y. (2004). “Standard absorption moisture content of soil and its testing standard.” Rock Soil Mech., 25(6), 856–860.
Zhang, R., Yang, H. P., and Zheng J. L. (2006). “The effect of vertical pressure on the deformation and strength of expansive soil during cyclic wetting and drying.” Proc., Fourth Int. Conf. on Unsaturated Soils, ASCE, Carefree, Ariz., 894–905.
Zhang, Z. J., Tao, M. J., and Morvant, M. (2005). “Cohesive slope surface failure and evaluation.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 131(7), 898–906.
Zheng, J. L., and Yang, H. P. (2004). Theory and practice of expansive soil treatment technology, Renmin Communication Press, Beijing.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 21 • Issue 4 • April 2009
Pages: 154 - 162
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: May 30, 2006
Accepted: May 22, 2007
Published online: Apr 1, 2009
Published in print: Apr 2009
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Chiu Liu
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.