The dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) has been studied extensively since its early development in the 1960's to expand its use for evaluating in situ engineering properties of pavement base courses, subbases, and subgrade layers. The DCP penetration rate (PR) has been correlated to common soil strength parameters such as California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and modulus with an emphasis on using the DCP in lieu of traditional CBR and falling weight defiectometer (FWD) or heavy weight deflectometer (HWD) testing. This paper evaluates the use of the DCP for assessment of material strength for pavement applications. Focus is placed on the use of the DCP for estimating soil strength, compaction quality control, and detecting pavement sublayer strength variability. A database containing 185 test points at 24 sites where DCP, FWD, and/or CBR tests were conducted was populated and used to perform regression analyses. Relationships between PR, CBR, and backcalculated modulus were developed and compared to existing correlations. The application of DCP in soil strength determination, compaction quality control, and pavement variability detection was established.
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