1. ERDC Knowledge Core
2. Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
3. Cold Regions Research Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) - (2/1/1961 - present)
4. Technical Publication
5. Technical Report

Title:	Comparison of the performance of all-bituminous concrete and reduced subgrade strength highway pavement test sections under freezing conditions
Authors:	Eaton, Robert A.
Keywords:	Freezing Pavements Frost Frost action Frost heave Frost heaving Roads Roadways Soils Highways Test methods Bituminous pavements Bituminous concretes
Publisher:	Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.:	Technical report (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.)) ; 270.
Description:	Technical Report Abstract: Four highway pavement test sections were built at CRREL in July 1971. Two sections were designed using the Asphalt Institute full-depth criteria in which the pavement is placed directly upon the subgrade with no granular base course, and the other two were based on similar traffic volumes using the Corps of Engineers reduced subgrade strength criteria which incorporate a granular base course. The sections were constructed to compare and evaluate the performance of the two different concepts under freeze-thaw conditions. The first three years' observations show that: 1) the maximum frost penetration of 35 to 40 in. was essentially the same beneath all four sections, 2) the thawing condition in the subgrade existed a fraction of the time beneath the crushed stone base course sections vs. the full-depth sections (2 or 3days vs 11 to 20 days), 3) the subgrades beneath the full-depth sections were subjected to twice as many freeze-thaw cycles as the subgrades under the crushed stone bases due to the thinner pavement structure (8 cycles vs. 4cycles), 4) moisture increases of 8to 12% occurred each year in the top foot of subgrade directly beneath the full-depth sections and caused high Benkelman beam deflections of up to 0.12 in. in the thinnest (5-in.) section and visible transitory rutting, and 5) uniform frost heaves of at least 2 and 1/2 in. were measured on both full-depth sections each year vs. 1 and 1/2- and 1/2-in. heaves on the crushed stone base sections. From September 1971 to May 1974, a total of 49,000 vehicles have traversed the sections. Of this total, there were over 12,000 equivalent 18,000-lb axle loads, with the bulk of the truck traffic traversing the sections during the frost melting period. Observations are continuing for a more comprehensive evaluation.
Rights:	Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/11681/5572
Appears in Collections:	Technical Report