Cement stabilization of unpaved roads.

Details

• Creators:
  Hoppe, Edward J. ; Nair, Harikrishnan
• Corporate Creators:
  Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)
• Corporate Contributors:
  Virginia. Dept. of Transportation ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Gravel roads
  • Full-depth reclamation
  • Chip seals
  • Durability tests
  • Cement
  • Stabilization
• Publication/ Report Number:
  VTRC 17-R19
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Virginia
• Corporate Publisher:
  Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)
• Abstract:
  In an effort to address the local citizens’ preference for preserving existing gravel roads, personnel of the Northern ; Virginia District of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have been exploring various options for improving the ; effectiveness of current maintenance practices. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of chemical ; stabilization practices on unpaved roads. A 550-ft-long segment of Hurley Lane, a gravel road in Loudoun County, was selected ; for testing. Traffic counts measured by VDOT personnel in early 2016 indicated approximately 340 vehicles per day, including ; 3% trucks. ; The construction technique known as full-depth reclamation (FDR) was used. The existing unpaved road section was ; pulverized to a depth of 12 in and subsequently blended with 5% cement by weight using road reclaiming equipment. The ; surface was then covered with a double chip seal. The main objective of this project was to provide stability while still ; maintaining the appearance and “feel” of a gravel road. ; Construction was completed in mid-November 2015, and problems with surface durability became evident ; approximately 3 months later. Excessive rutting and soil contamination at the surface were observed. Follow-up field testing ; was conducted to determine the cause of failure. A falling weight deflectometer was used to measure the response of the road ; section to impulse loads. Test results and visual observation indicated that the lack of durability of the chip seal was the most ; likely cause of substandard performance. Prior to stabilization, the test section at Hurley Lane required frequent maintenance ; activities. The need for extensive road maintenance decreased substantially after completion of the project, indicating that the ; underlying cement-stabilized road section was performing adequately. ; The study concluded that cement stabilization using the FDR approach is a viable option for improving some unpaved ; roads. It can be particularly attractive in situations where placement of conventional cement-treated aggregate is impractical ; because of time constraints on delivery. ; The study recommends that VDOT consider using FDR with chip seal surfacing for maintenance of areas identified as ; maintenance nuisance (each road segment under 0.1 mile long) and for roads qualified under the Rural Rustic Road Program ; (designed to keep a traditional rural lane appearance while improving the riding surface within the current right of way). FDR ; projects need to be planned adequately and monitored during construction. Particular attention should be directed to field testing ; of compaction, weather-related limitations on construction activities, and chip seal application procedures. The study also ; recommends the use of a falling weight deflectometer to prioritize maintenance needs.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  RC00102
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/32336/dot_32336_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.47 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:c1900d14f580312be291cd0bdcb47c26346e492a0562af37bd6dcb2b00b922ea