Estimating the Resilient Modulus of Marginal Granular Materials through a Novel Approach of Strain-Stage Dynamic CBR Test
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 4
Abstract
Stiffness quantification of unbound granular materials (UGMs) is essential for designing pavement structures. This stiffness can be determined directly through the resilient modulus test, or indirectly, by correlation, with the California bearing ratio (CBR) test. Alternatively, the dynamic CBR test (dCBR) has been proposed as a simple and low-cost method for this assessment. This study investigated a new dCBR test protocol based on a novel strain-stage approach, applying 20 load cycles/stage. This testing protocol is expected to facilitate characterization and on-site control of stiffness for UGMs, including marginal granular materials (MGMs). The study characterized four MGMs using the new dCBR test protocol and the resilient modulus test; four replicate specimens manufactured by gyratory compaction were assessed per material and test. The protocol was implemented successfully for the MGMs studied to compute an equivalent resilient modulus. A methodology is proposed for calculating an adjusted equivalent resilient modulus with values similar to those of the resilient modulus. Further research is suggested to explore the relationship between the dCBR and CBR tests to advance the characterization of granular materials for pavement structures and expand the experimental data using a broader set of soils to validate the protocol.
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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.
Acknowledgments
This study is a product of the IMP-ING-3404 high-impact project funded by the Vice-rectorship of Research at Universidad Militar Nueva Granada and Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia. The authors express their gratitude for this financial support. The first author acknowledges the financial support of the Colombian Army through its program of scholarships for the doctoral education of officers from the Escuela Militar de Cadetes General José María Córdova.
Disclaimer
This paper does not constitute a standard or specification, nor is it intended for design, bidding, construction, contracting, tendering, or permitting purposes. Trade names were used solely for information purposes and not for product endorsement.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 4 • April 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 3, 2023
Accepted: Sep 27, 2023
Published online: Jan 24, 2024
Published in print: Apr 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jun 24, 2024
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