Prevention of Longitudinal Cracking in Surfaces and Fills

Details

• Creators:
  Wray, Warren K. ; Ellepola, C. B.
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas Tech University. Dept. of Civil Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Clay Embankments Embankments And Retaining Walls Field Studies Lateral Supports Longitudinal Cracking Pavement Cracking Shrinkage Soil Suction Stresses Swelling Soils

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/TX-88/01
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Texas
• Edition:
  Final September, 1988 - August, 1990
• Corporate Publisher:
  Texas Tech University. Department of Engineering Technology, and Civil Engineering
• Abstract:
  Cracking parallel to the highway alignment (longitudinal cracking) was discovered in flexible pavement constructed over high-PI clay embankments retained by reinforced soil retaining walls (RSRWs). The cracks were noted to occur at approximately the location of the interface between the clay embankment and the cohesionless backfill of the RSRW. Coring of the crack revealed the crack to be wider at the bottom than at the top suggesting that the tensile force causing the cracking was being applied at the bottom of the pavement structure. All Texas State Dept. of Highways and Public Transportation (SDUPT) Districts were queried to learn the extent of the longitudinal cracking problem. Only District 16, headquartered at Corpus Christi, was found to be experiencing the problem. Using soil from the same source as was used to construct embankments and RSRW backfill, four large laboratory models were constructed of the field situation. Each of the tests demonstrated that a vertical separation would occur between the clay embankment and sand backfill as a result of lateral shrinking of the high-PI clay over time due to climate. The third test showed that the vertical crack would propagate upwards through the flexible base material. The fourth test produced a crack through the flexible base but failed to produce a crack through the overlying HMAC because the HMAC adhered to the walls of the test box and separated from the caliche base.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  11-8-89-1214
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:463dab4b15d8ba59e26a61b76c8d9c1361e3234c7bbb7dc4a397f56ae1e3e2eeedf492e74535f5583636096bb59ff7d70a75c68969d99b7432aca2db8b5cc9a1
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/86338/dot_86338_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 15.25 MB ]