Linking Soil Design and Quality Control of Compacted Soils Through an Improvement of the Acceptance Zone of the RAMCODES Methodology

摘要

We propose an enhancement in the generation of the acceptance zone of the RAMCODES methodology; in this research, the new zone is called "optimum performance zone". The "optimum performance zone" for a compacted soil was obtained by applying concepts of linear programming to soil mechanics. This novel approach links the mean variables of soil design (resistance and hydration conditions) with the traditional quality control (minimum compaction percentage). The optimum performance zone is a geometric site in the water content-dry unit weight plane, within which any compaction state (defined by specific values of dry unit weight and water content) has a high probability of fulfilling a pre-established value of mechanical response and a minimum compaction percentage, while also satisfying pre-established hydration conditions (minimum and maximum saturation degrees). In order to ascertain the concordance of the mechanical performance of compacted soils in situ with the mechanical performance of compacted soils in the laboratory, a soil that later would be compacted in situ was submitted to mechanical characterization, and a factorial experimental design was developed and performed. A surface response was plotted from experimental data; the resistance map of the soil was obtained using the RAMCODES approach, and the optimum performance zone proposed in this research was also plotted. The response of a compacted soil, predicted by the optimum performance zone, was verified using soil samples from earthwork built with the soil that was previously analyzed, indicating that the optimum performance zone links the mean variables considered in design with the minimum compaction percentage established by past experiences or by soil specifications. These results imply that the optimum performance zone has field applications for quality control and for reception of compacted soils, guaranteeing an optimum mechanical performance that fulfills the minimum compaction percentage and th