Continuous Compaction Control and Other Innovative Field Tests

FHWA Intelligent Compaction Strategic Forum December 14-15, 2004 NCAT, Auburn, Alabama John Siekmeier, PE
Mn/DOT Office of Materials and Road Research

Outline of Presentation
Background In Situ Testing Devices Mn/DOT Case Studies Intelligent Compaction Overview Demonstration at MnROAD Conclusions

Testing for Compaction

Currently (empirical pavement design)
Specify Relative Density (Proctor Test) Specify Moisture Limits (Proctor Test) Test Rolling

Future (mechanistic pavement design)

QC: Intelligent Compaction Equipment QA: Specify Stiffness and Strength QA: Continue to Specify Moisture QA: Automated Test Rolling

Density Testing Issues

Proctor Had a Different Idea ASTM Specifies Standard Compactive Effort Optimum Moisture for Compaction Strength and Stiffness May Not Be Achieved Rutting Due to Moisture and Construction Traffic

Proctor Had a Different Idea 1933

12 inch firm blows not 12 inch firm strokes

Proctor 1948
This inadvertent substitution evidently led some organizations to assume that instead of striking a minimum length blow of 12 inches, the tamper should be dropped a distance of 12 inches in free fall.

Proctor 1948
Originally published objective of compaction in earth fills was a saturated penetration resistance of 300 lb per sq in. Soil would then have twice the penetration resistance required to permit loaded truck travel when fully saturated. The 12 inch blow was required principally to assure accurate determination of this penetration resistance and was never intended as a standard or optimum.

Nuclear vs Sandcone Densities

Investigation 622, U of M, LRRB, Mn/DOT, 1966 Sandcone results have appreciable errors Greatest errors in high density granular soils More than 5 lbs per cubic foot Due to inherent errors in the sandcone procedure

Nuclear Density vs Sandcone Density Mn/ROAD Aggregate Base 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004
145 y = 1.0x - 5.0
2

N u clear D en sity (lb /ft3)

R = 0.7 140

135

130

125 125 130 135 140 145

Sandcone Density (lb/ft3)

Nuclear Compaction vs Sandcone Compaction Mn/ROAD Aggregate Base 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004
110

Nuclear Compaction (percent)

105

100

95 95 100 105

110

Sandcone Compaction (percent)

Nuclear Moisture vs Sandcone Moisture Mn/ROAD Aggregate Base 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004
10

N u clear M o istu re (p ercen t)

6 y = 0.98x + 0.20 R = 0.93 4

2

2 2 4 6 8 10

Sandcone Moisture (percent)

Proctor 1948
The most essential link between theoretical and practical soil mechanics is the collection of better data regarding the compaction equipment and methods required to produce the prescribed shear strengths. For in the final analysis, all laboratory and experimental data is just about worthless unless the results secured actually can be applied to the work, a condition that at present is rare.

New In Situ Tests Are Needed

Achieve agreement between construction quality assurance and seasonal pavement design. Quantify alternative materials and construction practices. Show economic benefit of improved materials. Reward good construction. This requires new specifications and new tools. Tools must be quantitative, portable, and accurate in the field.

In Situ Testing Equipment

DCP and Backcalculated FWD Moduli vs Stationing Waseca Co Rd 8, April 7, 2000 Subgrade Below Flyash
100

80

60

40

20

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Stationing
DCP 6 Inch Avg FWD lowest drop

PRIMA Portable FWD (LWD)

Impulse Device
Load measured Velocity measured Deflection calculated Variable falling mass Variable plate size

Humboldt GeoGauge

State DOTs Using DCP

California Colorado Florida Idaho Illinois Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana New Jersey North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Utah Wisconsin

State DOTs Using GeoGauge

Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Ohio Michigan Oregon Minnesota Pennsylvania Mississippi South Carolina Nevada South Dakota New Hampshire Tennessee New York Texas North Carolina Wisconsin North Dakota Wyoming

Value Engineering MnDOT TH61

Design & Compaction Control For Foundation Soil Improvements Paper at TRB 2004
CNA Consulting Engineers American Engineering Testing C.S. McCrossan Inc.

GeoGauge Data
50 45 40 35

Frequency

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600

2

700

800

900

1000

Modulus (tons/ft ) GeoGauge

GeoGauge Normal Distribution

Design Build MnDOT ROC 52

Mn/DOT
Terry Ward Project Manager

HDR Construction Control Corporation

Doug Jackson Project Manager Tom Wiener Project Controls Manager

Materials QC/QA Compliance

Materials database
Test requirements known Field samples taken Field test results recorded Pass / fail in real time

Material Detailed Graph

Machine Control Using GPS TH 23

MnDOT Willmar District 8, Office of Technical Support, NCHRP 10-65

Intelligent Compaction
Overview and Research Needs Presentation at TRB 2004
Jean-Louis Briaud and Jeong Bok Seo Texas A&M University ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Chris Dumas, FHWA Hans Kloubert, BOMAG Roland Anderegg, AMMANN Carl Petterson, GEODYNAMIK

AMMANN Compaction Expert

Intelligent Compaction Economics

(Briaud and Seo, 2004)

More than 30% reduction in labor time and fuel costs Reduce the number of conventional spot tests Increase the rollers useful life

Relative Continuous Testing Method

(Briaud and Seo, 2004) Instrumented vertical or horizontal vibrating rollers Measure roller acceleration as function of time Calculate a stiffness index Index depends on soil stiffness and roller parameters Index is compared for successive passes Relative index values help the roller operator avoid over and under compaction

Absolute Continuous Testing Method

(Briaud and Seo, 2004) Instrumented vertical or horizontal vibrating rollers Measure roller acceleration as a function of time Calculate a soil modulus Soil modulus is independent of the roller Soil modulus is compared to target value (specs) The soil modulus value tells the operator if the specified compaction level has been reached

Intelligent Compaction Method

(Briaud and Seo, 2004)

Instrumented vertical or horizontal vibrating rollers Measure roller acceleration as a function of time Calculate a soil modulus Soil modulus is independent of the roller The intelligent roller automatically and instantaneously modifies its settings (force, amplitude, frequency) to meet the target soil modulus

MnROAD CCC Demonstration

September 27-29, 2004
Bomag Omann Bros Braun Intertec Sweeney Bros C.S. McCrossan CNA Consulting Engineers Federal Highway Administration Minnesota Department of Transportation

Quasi-static Plate Load Test

300

250

200

Load (lb)

150

100

50

0 0.000

0.020

0.040

0.060

0.080

0.100

0.120

0.140

Displacement (inches)
12/12/02 Test 1
12/12/02 Test 2
12/12/02 Test 3

Test Type and Equipment

Shear Strength
Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP)

Elastic Modulus
Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) Loadman Portable FWD (LWD) Prima Portable FWD (LWD) Humboldt GeoGauge Quasi-static Plate Load Bomag Compactor

Density
Sand Cone, Nuclear Gauge

Moisture
Sand Cone, Nuclear Gauge Camp Stove with Scale, Kessler FMO

Quality Control Testing, Modulus vs Location MnROAD CCC Demonstration, Westbound Lane, September 29, 2004 MnDOT Class 6, 100% Crushed Granite, Poisson = 0.35
160

120

Modulus (MPa)

80

40

0 100 110 120 130 140 150

Location (feet)
DCP200a3CSIR
DCP100topCSIR
LM2 loadcell
LM2 accel only
Bomag
GG after
Relative Density

Quality Assurance Testing, Modulus vs Location MnROAD CCC Demonstration, Eastbound Lane, October 14, 2004 MnDOT Class 6, 100% Crushed Granite, Poisson = 0.35
160
1.6

80

0.8

40

0.4

0 100
LM2 Accel

0.0

110

120
FWD low

130
FWD med

140
FWD high

150

Distance (feet)
LM2 stress accel

FWD stress low

FWD stress med

FWD stress high

Vertical Stress (MPa)

120

1.2

Modulus (MPa)

FWD Moduli vs Peak Stress MnROAD CCC Demonstration, October 21, 2004 Class 6 Prior to Paving, Three Drop Heights Shown, Mean of Three Repetitions Shown Poisson's Ratio = 0.35, Plate Radius = 150 mm, Rigid Plate Factor = 0.79
160

150

y = 0.07x + 98.07 2 R = 0.57

140

Modulus (MPa)

130

120

110

100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Peak Stress (kPa)

M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8
Linear (M0)

University of Minnesota ME Projects

Mechanistic Empirical Design Seasonal Properties Dynamic Analysis of FWD MnROAD TDR Data Analysis LWD Enhancement and Verification Moisture Retention Characteristics Modulus of Select Granular Moisture Effects on DCP/LWD Unsaturated Material Resistance Factors Implementation of LWD Dynamic Analysis 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005

Current/Future Standards
EU Performance Related Specifications Mn/DOT DCP Specifications Aggregate and Granular ASTM DCP Test Method ASTM GeoGauge Test Method ASTM LWD Test Method (draft) FHWA GeoGauge Pooled Fund FHWA CRREL Subgrade Performance Pooled Fund NCHRP 10-65 NDT QC/QA for Flexible Pavements Proposed DCP/LWD Specification Pooled Fund Proposed Intelligent Compaction Pooled Fund AASHTO M-E Pavement Design

Conclusions
Density testing has been useful, but is not time efficient, does not verify design properties, and should be replaced. Construction equipment and field tests are now available that can measure the mechanistic properties used to design pavements. Field data acquisition and materials reporting using global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) are available. Whats Next?

Mn/DOT TH 212 Design Build

Requests proposals to contract with a Design-Build Verification Consultant (DBVC) to provide design verification, contract administration, materials testing and construction inspection for the project. Intelligent Compaction Evaluation

Mn/DOT TH 212 Design Build

It is believed that intelligent compaction will provide benefits for both the contractor and agency. Mn/DOT currently has little experience with this construction process. The primary objective of this effort is to determine the viability and effectiveness of intelligent compaction processes; whether it can be utilized to obtain similar, or better, compaction performance on grading, base, and asphalt construction.

Mn/DOT TH 212 Design Build

Should the design-builder elect to utilize intelligent compaction processes on the T.H. 212 Design-Build project, Mn/DOT will require that the data be collected, stored and made available to the consultant by the designbuilder. The projects purpose is to enable Mn/DOT to evaluate the effectiveness of the process and begin to develop specification limits for future projects.

Thank you.
Questions?
http://mnroad.dot.state.mn.us
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