In 2003 there was a realisation by many industry practitioners that Australia lacked a unified approach to the testing of stabilised materials and that the current Australian Standards did not meet the stringent requirements required for road construction. Many excellent papers based on single task research projects have been published in the last ten years and these can now be used to develop a new suite of Austroads test methods for stabilised materials using various binders (ie cement, lime, bitumen and chemicals). Using the research and performance data now available along with similar test methods, a new series of test methods based on research outcomes is currently being developed. These will be specific for road construction and represent a significant step forward in the harmonisation of Australian laboratory procedures. These test methods also give consideration to existing test moulds, mechanised elements of the test, all binder types and will be free to access from the Austroads web site. This paper outlines how research is being used to deliver the best outcomes to designers and laboratory technicians and work towards a consistent approach to the testing of stabilised materials in Australia. The paper also includes a discussion on further research needs to further refine laboratory testing and resolves some of the uncertainty in results of the current test methods. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Abstract