Highway Construction Applications Research Articles

A hyper-heuristic algorithm for VRP problem and its application in highway construction

A hyper-heuristic algorithm for VRP problem and its application in highway construction

A hyper-heuristic algorithm for VRP problem and its application in highway construction

A hyper-heuristic algorithm for VRP problem and its application in highway construction

An ultra-lightweight cellular concrete for geotechnical applications – A review

For decades, lightweight concrete has been used in various civil engineering applications. Cellular concrete is a type of lighweight concrete that is an emerging composite in materials engineering still. However, due to its low weight, it can be integrated with industrial by-products to develop more advanced composites such as ultra-lightweight cellular concrete (ULCC). ULCC is sustainable and regarded as a potential candidate due to its simplicity of use and other benefits. A systematic review of the potential applications of ULCC in geotechnical construction are presented in this review article. Due to technological breakthroughs and changes in environmental conditions, and their material property is one of the variables that influence the degradation of roadway. Several investigations have been conducted by incorporating different materials into pavement structures to achieve longer-lasting and better pavement infrastructures than those at present. Sustainability benefits, workability, low prices, time, and structural capacity are factors that have been widely focused. This study focuses on the raw materials, production techniques, types, and properties of the ULCCs. The boundary densities of the ULCCs were considered from 400 to 1600 kg/m3. Structures all across the globe have benefited from the usage of cellular concrete in some form or another. However, much work in this field should be focused on, particularly in geotechnical applications. Geotechnical applications need specific attention to develop this kind of concrete with enhanced qualities. In order to address this need, this review paper has extensively focused on raw materials, manufacturing procedures, cellular concrete characteristics, types and uses of ULCC, particularly in geotechnical applications. Furthermore, several limitations and gaps in ULCC application in highway construction are highlighted, and recommendations on further improving its use and performance are provided.

Research on Soft Soil Foundation Treatment Technology and Application in Highway Construction

Research on Soft Soil Foundation Treatment Technology and Application in Highway Construction

A New Rapid Method to Assess the Durability of Shale

Shale is the most abundant sedimentary rock worldwide and is often used as a construction material in many civil engineering applications. However, this material is easily deteriorated when it is exposed to cyclic wetting and drying processes. Deterioration of shale used for highway construction applications may lead to bearing capacity failure of highway embankments and instability of the adjacent slopes. The susceptibility of shale to deterioration is typically quantified by durability. In this context, durability is a measure of the rate and magnitude of deterioration and is used to describe the susceptibility of a material to environmental factors such as mechanical and chemical weathering. The Jar Slake test is a visual observation-based immersion test used to qualitatively assess the durability of shale. Although the test is relatively rapid and easy to perform, the results are very subjective. This paper presents a new method that utilizes the immersion aspect of the Jar Slake test, which simulates water-induced deterioration of shale. However, the proposed method eliminates the subjectivity associated with the Jar Slake test. The proposed method quantifies the durability of shale using time dependent changes in electrical conductivity measurements of a shale-water solution. In this method, there is only need to monitor the electrical conductivity of the shale-water solution for up to 60 min and predict the durability of the shale by a simple model developed from this study. The results of the proposed method were found to compare well with other more rigorous methods to assess durability.

Performance of WMA additives under freeze–thaw action

Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is an energy-saving and environmental-friendly technology with a broad prospect for application in highway construction. When compared with hot mix asphalt (HMA), WMA reduces the mixing and compaction temperatures (by 25–30°C) and hence reduction in energy consumption and emissions of harmful gases while maintaining the workability of HMA. In this study, three different additives, namely, Sasobit (organic wax additive), Evotherm (emulsion-based chemical additive) and Zycotherm (anti-stripping chemical additive) were evaluated for their laboratory performance under repeated weathering actions. HMA and WMA laboratory samples for Marshall stability, indirect tensile strength and tensile strength ratio were cast and subjected to 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 freeze and thaw cycles (F&T cycles) in numbers and then tested. A comparative study was performed among HMA and three WMA mixes (control and weathered), that is, Sasobit-WMA (S-WMA), Evotherm-WMA (E-WMA) and Zycotherm-WMA (Z-WMA) to analyse the trend of variation in strength and properties with varying F&T cycles. Aggregate coating and compactibility were also analysed.

User costs as one of main advantages of precast concrete application in highway construction

Road user cost primarily refer to the monetized components of road (re)construction impacts, such as the user delay costs, vehicle operating costs, crash costs and emission costs. Objective of this paper is to analyze and appraise the advantages and benefits of the innovative prefabrication approach in contrast to traditional cast-in-place construction method. The goal is to reduce these additional costs borne by motorists and the community at-large as a result of road construction activity to their minimum through application of the prefabrication. Assessing two basic possible approaches to highway infrastructure construction - casting the road pavements and structures either in place or precast off the site - it can be concluded that the initial capital investment costs do not vary much. Substantial differences can be recognized when comparing their life-cycle costs and an extent to which their construction process affects the public, environment and the local economy. Prefabrication of any structure component off-site offers major construction time and user cost savings in comparison with the traditional cast-in-place methods of construction. Precast prestressed road pavements’ technology and precasting bridges’ parts and elements offers dramatic increase in durability, while it also substantially decreases construction time and resulting user costs.

Influence of curing conditions on engineering properties of controlled low strength material made with cementless binder

As an evaluation of the use of Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM) in highway construction applications (e.g., backfill, utility bedding, void fill and bridge approaches), the need for adequate curing conditions of CLSM cannot be overemphasized. The aim of this paper is to assess the influence of different curing conditions on the engineering properties of CLSM using ponded ash as fine aggregate and Cementless Binder (CB). CB is manufactured with granulated blast-furnace slag and other alkali activators (e.g., phosphogypsum and waste lime). It was used a binder material to replace Portland cement fully in the CLSM production. Various CSLM mixtures were prepared with variable ranges of water to CB ratios (W/CB) and tested through a series of laboratory experiments. A good flowability of higher than 20 cm was first confirmed for all CLSM mixtures by flow tests as reported in the American Concrete Institute (ACI 229R). Subsequently, in order to evaluate influence of curing conditions to engineering properties of CLSM, the following tests including Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) and thermal conductivity were performed. Herein, in addition to UCS, thermal conductivity of CLSM was considered due to the fact that in highway construction, the breakdown of cable insulation can be unexpectedly caused if heat generated from transmission of underground power cables could not be discharged effectively through the backfill material. The prepared CLSM specimens were subjected to three different curing conditions: wet chamber curing with the relative humidity of 100% (WCC-RH100); wet chamber curing with the relative humidity of 50% (WCC-RH50) and Saturated Curing (SC). As a result, it was observed that the curing environments significantly affected the UCS and thermal conductivity of CLSM mixtures. In particular, the wet chamber curing conditions (WCC-RH100 and WCC-RH50) led to higher compressive strength but lower thermal conductivity than those of mixtures cured at the SC condition. This finding is very important when determining a proper curing condition playing a significant role in achieving optimum performance and full potential from the given CLSM mixtures in highway construction.

Geotechnical and Leaching Properties of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash for Use as Embankment Fill Material

The beneficial use of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash promotes sustainability in highway construction. This study investigated the geotechnical and chemical leaching characteristics of fresh and aged MSWI fly ash samples for use of the material in highway construction applications. The results show that the geotechnical properties of MSWI fly ash resemble those of silty sands with poor drainage capacity. Compared with fresh ash (<10 days since placement), aged ash (3 to 6 months) has a higher California bearing ratio, higher unconfined compressive strength, and greater freeze–thaw durability. The concentrations of cadmium, chromium, selenium, silver, and sulfate from water leach tests are below the limits stipulated in Wisconsin NR 538. The concentrations of heavy metals in leachate from Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure tests are below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard maximum contaminant level, with the exception of arsenic. Cumulative mass release from column leach tests indicates that fresh ash will release more heavy metals than aged ash during long-term leaching processes. According to the geotechnical and environmental test results in this investigation, aged MSWI fly ash is identified as a viable material for potential use in roadway construction.

Rheological studies of asphalt modified with elastomeric polymer

Reactive polymers, consisting of glycidyl methacrylate, produce a chemical reaction between the polymer and the asphalt binder that can be beneficial for asphalt application in hot climates. Elastomeric-modified-bitumen mixes were developed using elastomeric polymer (EMA-GMA), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyphosphoric acid (PPA 116%). Physical and rheological properties of modified bitumen, complex modulus (|G∗|), phase angle (δ), and MSCR test were analyzed. Test results of penetration, softening point and elastic recovery showed an increase of elastic behavior in modified asphalts and produced material properties suitable for application in highway construction. Based on rheological test results, it was observed that the addition of polymer can increase the range of temperature, in asphalt, to resist permanent deformation. MSCR test results characterize the modified asphalt as an elastomeric with good performance at intermediate temperatures.

Operational Considerations for Terrestrial Laser Scanner Use in Highway Construction Applications

A 2010 survey of terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) usage among state highway agencies indicated that TLS is being increasingly used for highway construction applications among transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. To observe variations in TLS measurements for typical highway conditions, two roadway sites were studied; a 20-year-old asphalt surface and a new concrete surface. Repeated scans were conducted using a Leica ScanStation II to investigate the effects of pavement surface type and reflectance, point density, number and layout of targets, and survey method for establishing control points. Typical target arrangements were not found to greatly affect the resulting scan data for the equipment used in the study. It was observed in this case study that the collected TLS data demonstrated better relative elevation results based on the control and checkpoints established using total stations than on the control and checkpoints established using a real-time kinematic global positioning system. When using the Leica ScanStation II, reflectance of a sample of typical concrete pavement was not observed to vary greatly between 1-month-old and 1-year-old surfaces. Reflectance of asphalt pavement was observed to vary significantly between several examined surfaces ranging from new to 20 years old.

Hot-Mix Asphalt that Contains Nickel Slag Aggregate

Air-cooled (AC) nickel slag is evaluated for highway construction applications as an aggregate in hot-mix asphalt (HMA). The AC nickel slag is a liquid coproduct of nickel production that is solidified under ambient conditions. The laboratory evaluation program, which was carried out to determine the characteristics of the AC nickel slag, included physical and mechanical properties testing, petrographic examinations, and HMA mixture designs. Accelerated laboratory testing was completed on the mixtures by using an asphalt pavement analyzer to assess their performance characteristics. Additional testing included autoclave disruption tests for free lime and free magnesia, chemical and mineralogical analyses, polished stone value, and aggregate abrasion value. This study indicated that suitably processed nickel slag was environmentally, mineralogically, and physically stable. From the accelerated laboratory testing that was completed, it was concluded that the AC nickel slag was suitable for use as coarse and fine aggregates in HMA. The use of nickel slag in a highway construction is also presented.

Enhanced Performance of Stabilized By-Product Gypsum

Blended calcium sulfate (BCS), a by-product gypsum blended with lime or limestone, has been used as a base course material on some of Louisiana’s highways. Although BCS has high strength in dry conditions, its poor water resistance has largely limited its application in highway construction. A series of laboratory tests identified the factors that dictate the strength development of nonstabilized BCS. BCS was subsequently stabilized with various cementing agents to improve its water resistance. The mechanical properties of stabilized BCS, including its unconfined compressive strength, water resistance, volumetric expansion, and durability, were also evaluated. Finally, recommendations were made for the application of stabilized BCS as a base course material.

Expert System for Industrial Residuals Application Assessment

As a part of a cooperative effort to provide assistance in the assessment of potential highway construction application areas for industrial residual materials, a knowledge-based system designed to assist in the screening of industrial residuals for possible highway construction applications has been developed by the Institute for Recyclable Materials at Louisiana State University. The system utilizes physical, chemical, mineralogical, and environmental data on waste materials—the relevant findings obtained from governmental agencies such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—as well as the expertise of scholars with substantial working and research experience in the recycling of industrial residuals. The system's final output, which not only is displayed on the monitor but also can be saved to a computer file or sent to a printer, consists of a list depicting up to seven out of a group of 13 potential highway construction application areas for the residual being analyz...