128 research outputs found

    In situ Characterization of Self-cementing Properties of Recycled Materials

    No full text
    In the last years, the emerging environmental & financial issues has led the international scientific community to spend more and more research efforts on the use of recycled materials in road construction, encouraging the standardization committees to modify their references. In some Countries the re-use of construction materials is becoming mandatory, reaching high percentages of recycling materials overall the aggregates used in road constructions. In this context the release of specifications, based on in situ performance criteria, assumes greater importance enabling the widespread use of secondary raw materials. The saving up due to the use of recycled materials covers both the economic aspects (reduced supply of virgin materials) and the environmental ones (lower quarrying of inert material and less dumping of waste materials) related to the infrastructure works. The correct understanding of the on time behaviour of recycled materials, particularly those containing significant quantities of crushed concrete, is of fundamental importance in order to ensure their proper design and built on. The aim of this paper is to highlight the selfcementing properties of recycled materials, according to the evolution of the stiffness characteristics assessed at different curing times, using non destructive devices (LWDFWD). Tests carried out with these instruments allow high levels of reliability guaranteeing more detailed investigation, thus increasing the data available for Qc/Qa. The tests were performed on a trial field consisting of 4 different types of recycled materials. Results show a significant increase in stiffness, expressed in terms of Surface Modulus, as a function of the curing time. The analysis of data acquired by some pressure cells located at the base of the recycled layer allows confirming the increase of stiffness of the materials shown by the deflection test results

    Dynamic field assessment of bearing capacity for pavement subgrades and foundations

    No full text
    In situ assessment of bearing capacity is usually performed by means of static plate loading tests. Today, however, higher performance dynamic investigation methodologies are increasingly often employed, in combination with traditional and deflectometric techniques. This allows a large amount of data to be recorded rapidly, thereby guaranteeing more detailed investigation, but also making the process of data elaboration and result interpretation more time-consuming. In the present study, an improvement in data elaboration techniques and interpretation of results was achieved through application of geostatistical science to measurement and analysis of data acquired at several experimental sites. The findings suggest that geostatistics-based systems have the potential for use as quality control/quality assurance (Qc/Qa) devices in testing subgrades, subbase courses and compacted soil layers and as a means of evaluating their correspondence to the strength performances required for the layers. Concomitant use of various deflectometric systems also made it possible to take specific construction and operating characteristics of the devices into account when evaluating the experimental results. This paper reports on joint experiences conducted by the Universities of Pisa and Bologna, whose research teams have long been working on validation of innovative field testing systems. The results appear promising for upcoming insertion of the methodologies inserted into existing technical specifications

    Comparing Light Weight Deflectometers to standardize their use in the compaction control

    No full text
    Along with the increase of road traffic and loads, arises the need for a methodology for studying and predicting the rutting resistance of asphalt concretes. The growth of this phenomenon on the asphalt pavement is directly connected with the layers’ structural damage and it is reflected in terms of safe riding. An accurate laboratory characterization of the material rutting performance is desirable, aiming to reduce the distresses during its lifetime and to predict the mixture tendency to develop excessive permanent deformations under repeated heavy traffic loading. This paper reports a case study concerning the evaluation of the mechanical characteristics of two Warm Mix Asphalts (WMA). A unique binder type was adopted to reduce the number of variables, since it is known that one of the primary cause which engender the rut distress is the plastic behavior of the binder. These analysis were carried out with different tests setup complying with the EN 12697-25 requirements, varying stress level, but keeping constant temperature, loading type and time

    A preliminary comparison of Continuous Compaction Control and Portable FWD systems for Qc/Qa

    No full text
    Qc/Qa approach to pavement construction requires that correlated methods of measurement can be employed either by the contractors - guaranteeing the work reliability - and the controller. The case of bearing capacity evaluation for subgrade and foundation layers is today moving from traditional testing (PLT), through Portable FWDs and FWDs, to the latest version of CCC and IC systems. Most of the modern vibrating compactors can be geared with in-built testing devices able to evaluate the stiffness level of the compacted layer down to a decimetric span, during compaction. On the other hand, Portable FWDs can quickly define a dense pattern of measurements in order to assess if the surface stiffness complies with requirements. This paper presents a preliminary testing campaign, aiming to contribute to the discussion of researchers for the CCC and PFWD systems integration as cross validation methods. A full scale double trial site have been constructed and monitored with a common IC-CCC drum and two different PFWDs. Results are also presented in the form of spatial geostatistic analysis
    corecore