A novel approach for the control of grain size distributions based on variance analysis

Abstract

One of the criteria to select granular materials for road construction is the grain size distribution. Selected materials will compose the unbound layers of pavement structures, which support the traffic loads. This paper aims to present an approach for validating the compliance of grain size distribution of three different granular materials according to the current construction guidelines. This approach can be easily implemented for both unbound and bound layers. Besides, it allows validating the compliance of granular materials based on international regulations that address boundaries of grain size curves, providing a comprehensive control and management of such materials used for infrastructure construction. The approach and data interpretation include a detailed statistical analysis of (i) the descriptive exploration of the data, (ii) a one-way ANOVA test, and (iii) two-by-two comparisons between the experimental data against the boundary curves established in construction guidelines. Results show a validation procedure based on the variation of the mean diameter, coefficient of curvature and coefficient of uniformity of the grain size curves. The approach developed in this research provides an alternative method for selecting granular materials used for sustainable transportation infrastructure construction.