Measuring in Situ Mechanical Properties of Pavement Subgrade Soils

Book excerpt: This synthesis report will be of interest to pavement and geotechnical design and research engineers, geologists and engineering geologists, and related laboratory personnel. It describes the current practice for measuring in situ mechanical properties of pavement subgrade soils. The tests conducted to measure the mechanical properties of soil strength and stiffness are the primary topics, and these are discussed in the context of design procedures, factors affecting mechanical properties, and the variability of measurements. Information for the synthesis was collected by surveying U.S., Canadian, and selected European transportation agencies and by conducting a literature search. This TRB report provides information on existing and emerging technologies for static and dynamic, and destructive and nondestructive testing for measuring in situ mechanical properties of pavement subgrade soils. Correlations between in situ and laboratory tests are presented. The effects of existing layers on the measurement of subgrade properties, and soil spatial and seasonal variability are discussed. Most importantly, the use of soil properties in pavement design and evaluation are explained. New applications or improvements to existing test methods to support the use of mechanistic/stochastic-based pavement design procedures are also explained.