Investigation of the resilient behavior of granular base materials with simple test apparatus

Abstract

In many developing countries, where resources are at premium, thin asphalt layers or chip seals are widely used to provide a durable all weather pavement surfacing. In such pavements the role of granular layers is very important in the general performance of the structure. Pavement designs in these countries are empirical in nature and rely on simple input parameters like California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values. Although widely applicable the traditional CBR test does not provide the mechanical properties such as resilient and permanent deformation characteristics of granular road materials. This paper documents the characterization technique developed to determine the mechanical behavior of granular (sub-) base materials based on CBR test using repeated load cycles. The confining pressure developed in the complex CBR stress state is estimated using strain gauges. Finite Element analysis has been attempted to model the repeated load CBR (RL-CBR) and derive an equivalent resilient modulus. Furthermore, a large scale cyclic load triaxial test was carried out on coarse unbound granular materials (UGMs) to validate the result of the RL-CBR. The RL-CBR test reasonably estimates the resilient modulus of UGMs which can be used as an input in mechanistic pavement design analysis in the absence of triaxial testing facilities.