Factors Influencing Deformations of Geocell-Reinforced Recycled Asphalt Pavement Bases under Cyclic Loading
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 3
Abstract
A significant amount of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) material is produced from flexible pavement rehabilitation projects. RAP can be used as a base course material for sustainable pavement construction. Performance of a pavement largely depends on the strength of its foundation, which consists of the subgrade and base course layers. Geocell was used in this study to increase the strength of RAP bases. Nine large-scale laboratory cyclic plate loading tests were conducted on unreinforced and geocell-reinforced RAP bases with three different thicknesses (150, 230, and 300 mm) over weak and moderate subgrades to investigate the influence of geocell confinement, base course thickness, base course strength, and subgrade strength on permanent and resilient deformations of RAP bases. The subgrade was prepared by mixing Kansas River sand with kaolin and compacted at weak [target California bearing ratio ] and moderate (target ) strengths. The test results showed that geocell confinement improved the performance of reinforced RAP bases by reducing permanent surface deformations and increasing resilient deformations and percentages of resilient deformation as compared with those of unreinforced bases. The RAP bases over the moderate subgrade performed better than those over the weak subgrade. Subgrade strength had a more pronounced effect than geocell confinement on the properties of RAP bases. Geocell confinement was more beneficial for the bases over the weak subgrade than those over the moderate subgrade. The relative improvement factors (RIFs) of the reinforced bases with respect to the unreinforced bases and the bases over the moderate subgrade with respect to the bases over the weak subgrade ranged from 1.1 to 11.4 and 1.2 to 17.2, respectively. The permanent deformation increased with the number of loading cycles and the RIFs increased with the permanent surface deformation of RAP base sections.
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 Mid-America Transportation Research Center. The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) provided funding for the first author through the GSI Fellowship for conducting this research. The geocell material used in this research was provided by PRS Mediterranean, Ltd., in Israel. RAP materials were supplied by R.D. Johnson Excavating, Co. Mr. Howard Jim Weaver, the former laboratory manager, and Mr. Kahle Loveless and Mr. Aj Rahman, former undergraduate students in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) at the University of Kansas (KU) provided great assistance during the laboratory tests. The authors appreciate all this support.
References
Abdelrahman, M., Alam, T. B., Binte, T., and Zollars, J. (2010). “Performance of high recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) content as base layer in flexible pavement.” J. Solid Waste Technol. Manage., 36(3), 131–142.
Arulrajah, A., Rahman, M. A., Piratheepan, J., Bo, M. W., and Imteaz, M. A. (2014). “Evaluation of interface shear strength properties of geogrid-reinforced construction and demolition materials using a modified large-scale direct shear testing apparatus.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 974–982.
ASTM. (2006). “Standard test methods for uncompacted void content of fine aggregate (as influenced by particle shape, surface texture, and grading).” ASTM C1252–06, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2007a). “Standard test method for density and unit weight of soil in place by the sand-cone method.” ASTM D1556–07, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2007b). “Standard test method for density, relative density (specific gravity), and absorption of coarse aggregate.” ASTM C127–07, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2007c). “Standard test method for density, relative density (specific gravity), and absorption of fine aggregate.” ASTM C128–07a, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2009a). “Standard test method for accelerated tensile creep and creep-rupture of geosynthetic materials based on time-temperature superposition using the stepped isothermal method.” ASTM D6992, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2009b). “Standard test method for recovery of asphalt from solution by Abson method.” ASTM D1856–09, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2010). “Standard test method for asphalt content of hot-mix asphalt by ignition method.” ASTM D6307–10, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2011). “Standard test methods for quantitative extraction of bitumen from bituminous paving mixtures.” ASTM D2172/D2172M–11, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2013a). “Standard test method for bursting strength of textile fabrics Diaphragm bursting strength tester method.” ASTM D3786, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2013b). “Standard test method for index puncture resistance of geomembranes and related products.” ASTM D4883-07 e1, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2013c). “Standard test method for storage modulus calibration of dynamic mechanical analyzers.” ASTM E2254, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2014a). “Standard test method for linear thermal expansion of solid materials by thermomechanical analysis.” ASTM E831, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2014b). “Standard test method for oxidative-induction time of polyolefins by differential scanning calorimetry.” ASTM D3895, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2015a). “Standard test method for grab breaking load and elongation of geotextiles.” ASTM D4632, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2015b). “Standard test method for oxidative induction time of polyolefin geosynthetics by high pressure differential scanning calorimetry.” ASTM D5885, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2015c). “Standard test method for trapezoid tearing strength of geotextiles.” ASTM D4533, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2016a). “Standard test methods for determining apparent opening size of a geotextile.” ASTM D4751, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2016b). “Standard test methods for laboratory miniature vane shear test for saturated fine-grained clayey soil.” ASTM D4648, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2016c). “Standard test methods for water permeability of geotextile by permittivity.” ASTM D4491, West Conshohocken, PA.
Attia, M.I.E.-S. (2010). “Characterization of the structural behavior of reclaimed asphalt pavement as pavement base layer.” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Civil Engineering, North Dakota State Univ., ProQuest, Ann Arbor, MI.
Bennert, T., and Maher, A. (2005). “The development of a performance specification for granular base and subbase material.”, Dept. of Transportation, Trenton, NJ.
Bennert, T. A., Papp, W. J., Jr., Maher, M. H., and Gucunski, N. (2000). “Utilization of construction and demolition debris under traffic-type loading in base and subbase applications.” Transp. Res. Rec., 1714, 33–39.
Bortz, B. S., Hossain, M., Halami, I., and Gisi, A. (2012). “Low-volume paved road improvement with geocell reinforcement.” Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Clary, J. A., DeGroot, D. J., and Highter, W. H. (1997). “Structural numbers for reclaimed asphalt pavement base and subbase course mixes.” Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
Copeland, A., Jones, C., and Bukowski, J. (2010). “Reclaiming roads.” ⟨http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/10mar/06.cfm⟩ (Nov. 2, 2010).
Cosentino, P. J., et al. (2012). “Improving the properties of reclaimed asphalt pavement for roadway base applications.”, Florida Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Florida Dept. of Transportation, Tallahassee, FL.
Dong, Q., and Huang, B. (2014). “Laboratory evaluation on resilient modulus and rate dependencies of RAP used as unbound base material.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 379–383.
Garg, N, and Thompson, M. R. (1996). “Lincoln Avenue reclaimed asphalt pavement base project.” Transp. Res. Rec., 1547, 89–95.
Giroud, J. P., and Han, J. (2004a). “Design method for geogrid-reinforced unpaved roads. I: Development of design method.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 775–786.
Giroud, J. P., and Han, J. (2004b). “Design method for geogrid-reinforced unpaved roads. II: Calibration of applications.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 787–797.
Guthrie, W. S., Cooley, D., and Eggett, D. L. (2007). “Effects of reclaimed asphalt pavement on mechanical properties of base materials.” Transp. Res. Rec., 2005, 44–52.
Hammitt, G. M. (1974). “Thickness requirement for unsurfaced roads and airfields, bare base support.”, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.
Han, J., et al. (2011). “Performance of geocell-reinforced RAP bases over weak subgrade under full-scale moving wheel loads.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 1525–1534.
Han, J. (2015). Principles and practice of ground improvement, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Han, J., Acharya, B., Thankur, J. K., and Parsons, R. L. (2012). “Onsite use of recycled asphalt pavement materials with geocells to reconstruct pavements damaged by heavy trucks.”, Mid-America Transportation Center, Mid-America Transportation Center, Lincoln, NE.
Han, J., and Thakur, J. K. (2015). “Sustainable roadway construction using recycled aggregates with geosynthetics.” Sustainable Cities Soc., 14, 342–350.
ISO. (1999). “Determination of coefficient of linear thermal expansion and glass transition temperature.” ISO 11359-2, Geneva.
ISO. (2006). “Determination of oxidation induction time of a polyolefin.” ISO 11357, Geneva.
ISO. (2011). “Plastics—Determination of dynamic mechanical properties. Part 1: General principles.” ISO 6721-1, Geneva.
Kim, W., and Labuz, J. F. (2007). “Resilient modulus and strength of base course with recycled bituminous material.”, Minnesota Dept. of Transportation, Saint Paul, MN.
Li, L., Benson, C. H., Edil, T. B., Hatipoglu, B., and Onur, T. (2007). “Evaluation of recycled asphalt pavement material stabilized with fly ash.” Proc., Sessions of Geo-Denver 2007 Congress: Soil and Material inputs for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design, Vol. 169, Geo-Institute of ASCE, Reston, VA, 77–86.
Mohammadinia, A., Arulrajah, A., Sanjayan, J., Disfani, M. M., Bo, M. W., and Darmawan, S. (2014). “Laboratory evaluation of the use of cement-treated construction and demolition materials in pavement base and subbase applications.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., .
NAPA (National Asphalt Pavement Association). (2016). “Engineering overview.” ⟨http://www.asphaltpavement.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=33.⟩ (Sep. 6, 2016).
Papp, W. J., Jr., Maher, M. H., Bennert, T. A., and Gucunski, N. (1998). “Behavior of construction and demolition debris in base and subbase applications.” Proc., Sessions of Geo-Congress: Recycled Materials in Geotechnical Applications, ASCE, Reston, VA, 122–136.
Pokharel, S., Han, J., Leshchinsky, D., Parsons, R. L., and Halahmi, I. (2010). “Investigation of factors influencing behavior of single geocell-reinforced bases under static loading.” Geotext. Geomembr., 28(6), 570–578.
Qian, Y., Han, J., Pokharel, S. K., and Parsons, R. L. (2011). “Stress analysis on triangular aperture geogrid-reinforced bases over weak subgrade under cyclic loading—An experimental study.” Transp. Res. Rec., 2204(2), 83–91.
Recycled Material Research Center. (2008). “User guideline for byproducts and secondary use materials in pavement construction.” ⟨http://www.recycledmaterials.org/tools/uguidelines/rcc4.asp⟩ (May 24, 2012).
Taha, R., Ali, G., Basma, A., and Al-Turk, O. (1999). “Evaluation of reclaimed asphalt pavement aggregate in road base and subbase.” Transp. Res. Rec., 1652, 264–269.
Thakur, J. K., and Han, J. (2015). “Recent development of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) bases treated for highway construction.” Transp. Infrastruct. Geotech., 2(2), 68–86.
Thakur, J. K., Han, J., and Parsons, R. L. (2013). “Creep behavior of geocell-reinforced recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) bases.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 1533–1542.
Thakur, J. K., Han, J., Pokharel, S. K., and Parsons, R. L. (2012). “Performance of geocell-reinforced recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) bases over weak subgrade under cyclic plate loading.” Geotext. Geomembr., 35, 14–24.
Thompson, M. R., and Smith, K. L. (1990). “Repeated triaxial characterization of granular bases.” Transp. Res. Rec., 1278, 7–17.
Viyanant, C., Rathje, E. M., and Rauch, A. F. (2007). “Creep of compacted recycled asphalt pavement.” Can. Geotech. J., 44(6), 687–697.
Webster, S. L., Brown, R. W., and Porter, J. R. (1994). “Force projection site evaluation using the electric cone penetrometer (ECP) and the dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP).”, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC, 172.
Wen, H., Warner, J., Edil, T., and Wang, G. (2010). “Laboratory comparison of crushed aggregate and recycled pavement material with and without high carbon fly ash.” Geotech. Geol. Eng., 28(4), 405–411.
Wen, H., and Wu, M. (2011). “Evaluation of high percentage recycled asphalt pavement as base materials.”, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Transportation Northwest Regional Center, Seattle.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 3 • March 2017
Copyright
©2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 2, 2016
Accepted: Jul 26, 2016
Published online: Oct 24, 2016
Published in print: Mar 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Mar 24, 2017
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.