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Effect of wetting and drying on the resilient modulus and permanent strain of a sandy clay by RLTT

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Abstract

Water content is one of the significant factors that affect the stability and stiffness property of the subgrade soils. Under changing environmental conditions such as raining and drought, the water content becomes more variable and is known to facilitate many of the subgrade-related problems such as rutting and swelling. As a result, the compaction moisture and post-compaction moisture changes on the resilient modulus (MR) and permanent strain (εp) of a subgrade soil were investigated. The effect of the bulk stress, octahedral shear stress, wetting, and drying was analyzed using test results and has important consequences on the existing and design of new pavements. MR was higher for soil samples subjected to drying than wetting. Higher MR did not show lower εp. The correlation between MR and εp suggests that MR was not a satisfactory soil property to explain εp of the soil in the Ciyaowan station in Bao-shen. Models used to predict the effect of the moisture content, and stress state showed better performance for MR.

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Acknowledgement

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51478279), Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (E2019210137). These financial supports are gratefully acknowledged.

Funding

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51478279), Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (E2019210137). These financial supports are gratefully acknowledged. The Earthworks engineers stationed in Ciyaowan station in Bao-shen reported several subgrade related problems. To remedy the problem, a joint study was conducted with the state department and Shijiazhuang Tiedao Railway University. Results reported here are part of the several laboratory tests conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and System, Safety of Traffic Engineering Structures, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang, 050043, China

    Frank Siaw Ackah, Nie Zhuochen & Feng Huai**

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  1. Frank Siaw Ackah
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  2. Nie Zhuochen
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  3. Feng Huai**
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Correspondence to Feng Huai**.

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Conflicts of interest/Competing interests

The authors declare the following National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University and Hebei State depart of Earthworks engineers as the potential competing interests.

Peer review under responsibility of Chinese Society of Pavement Engineering.

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Ackah, F.S., Zhuochen, N. & Huai**, F. Effect of wetting and drying on the resilient modulus and permanent strain of a sandy clay by RLTT. Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol. 14, 366–377 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42947-020-0067-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42947-020-0067-3

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