Evaluation of Geosynthetic Reinforced Flexible Pavement Systems Using Two Pavement Test Facilities

摘要

The project was initiated to provide additional test section data to better define the influence of traffic loading type and geosynthetic reinforcement type. The loading provided to the test sections forming the basis of the models described above consisted of a cyclic load applied to a stationary plate. In this project, four full-scale test sections were constructed and loaded with a heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) located at the US Army Corp of Engineers facility in Hanover, NH. The for test sections used three geosynthetics identical to those used in previous test sections and pavement layer materials and thickness similar to previous sections. Additional test sections were constructed in the pavement test box used in previous studies to examine the influence of base aggregate type, base course thickness reduction level sand reinforcement type. A rounded pit run aggregate was used in test sections to evaluate the influence of geosynthetic-aggregate shear interaction parameters on reinforcement benefit. The 1993 AASHTO Design Guide was used to backcalculate the base course thickness reduction from previous test section results where a traffic benefit ratio (extension of life) was known. Sections were built to this base course thickness reduction to see if equivalent life to an unreinforced section was obtained. Finally, six different geosynthetic products were used in test sections to evaluate the influence of reinforcement type on pavement performance.