Modeling Mechanistic Properties of Unbound Pavement Materials for New York State

PROJECT DETAILS

Project Dates
03/01/2010 - 01/31/2014
Principal Investigators
Dr. Lynne Irwin (Late)
Institution
Cornell University
Sponsor(s)
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT)
Research and Innovative Technology Administration / USDOT (RITA)
Project Status
Complete
Background

This project will increase the applicability of the seasonal pavement materials models that were developed for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in an earlier research project entitled #C-01-54, Seasonal Variations of In Situ Materials Properties. The models from that project were designed to help NYSDOT implement the new mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) while still being applicable with the existing NYSDOT Comprehensive Pavement Design Manual (CPDM).

This project will expand on earlier research results, creating models of seasonal change in unbound (subbase and subgrade) layer moduli that are more broadly applicable across all of New York State. The original models covered about 60 percent of the geographic area of the state. The objective in this research is to increase the coverage of climatological and materials conditions, resulting in predictive models of pavement mechanistic properties, applicable to approximately 90 percent of the area of the state.

Project Goals

The primary goal is to expand the inference space of the models of seasonal change in unbound (subbase and subgrade) layer moduli for use in mechanistic pavement design. Information gained from the initial study shall be used to focus the activities of this project. The project goals are similar to those from the initial study.

  • Revise and update the matrix of the soil and climatic zones important to pavement design in New York State.
  • Using a practical set of evaluation tests at a site; determine an effective resilient modulus of subgrade for use in the 2000 NYSDOT Comprehensive Pavement Design Manual (CPDM), Chapter 4: New Pavement Design.
  • Using a practical set of evaluation tests at a site, determine a predictive seasonal model of resilient modulus of unbound materials to be used in mechanistically-based new and reconstruction pavement design. The seasonal model could provide input for one of the hierarchical levels in the new AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG).
  • Provide software tools and training for NYSDOT engineers to facilitate the implementation of this research.