DCP a Low-tech Approach to Solve an Age-old Problem

摘要

One of the SHRP 2 goals is to produce "tools and techniques that can be used throughoutthe lifecycle of … pavements" and the expected product is "guide and tool for constructing longlifepavements." In the past few decades, researchers as well as the highway agencies, have amind set that only "high-tech" topic is worthwhile to study. Yet high-tech is no guarantee formore reliable results. The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) is a low-tech device that can beused to evaluate in-site construction quality of the subgrade and aggregate base. The density testis merely a method to control construction quality, not a soil strength testing. Not having a soilfoundation with acceptable stiffness is the most expensive and troublesome situation forpavement maintenance engineers. The DCP is able to record the yielding (a reverse of stiffness)profile of the pavement foundation. Field test results indicated that a reasonable constructionquality specification can be developed. Using this low cost and easy to use device to collectmore field samples will assure an acceptable, in all three dimensions, paving foundation is inplace before laying down the pavement structure.