A study was conducted to determine the equivalency of geosynthetic-reinforced granular working platforms in providing support during pavement construction over soft subgrade. Four different geosynthetics (geogrid, woven geotextile, nonwoven geotextile, and drainage geocomposite) together with two granular materials (Grade 2 gravel and crushed rock) were used in this study. Total deflection data for the equivalency assessment were obtained from a large-scale model experiment (LSME) simulating a prototype-scale pavement structure. The effect of the reinforced platform thickness and the type of geosynthetics on the total deflection was evaluated. Total deflections after 1,000 loading cycles were smaller for geosynthetic-reinforced working platforms, and smaller deflections were observed when a geogrid and a woven geotextile were used for reinforcement. Based on the relationship between the working platform thickness and the total deflection, design charts were developed for selecting the equivalent thickness of an alternative geosynthetic-reinforced working platform material so that the alternative provides equal deflection as a layer of crushed rock. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E214938.
Abstract