EVALUATION OF PFWD AS POTENTIAL QUALITY CONTROL TOOL OF PAVEMENT LAYERS

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Kavussi ◽  
Shahaboddin Yasrobi

Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) that can be considered as simple equipment is mainly used to measure elastic moduli of pavement unbound layers. This paper evaluates the potential use of PFWD to reliably measure the elastic modulus of pavement layers. To achieve this, PFWD tests were conducted on highway sections selected from different projects in Tehran. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) laboratory tests were also conducted on samples collected during field tests. PFWD testing parameters were varied while performing the field testing. These included drop weight, drop height, plate diameter and position of additional geophones. In addition, PFWD moduli were compared with those obtained from performing FWD testing on the same site. It was found that drop mass and loading plate size affect PFWD modulus significantly. In addition, the results indicated that good correlation exist between PFWD moduli and FWD and CBR results. Santrauka Nešiojamasis krintančio svorio deflektometras PFWD (angl. portable falling weight deflectometer) yra nesudetingas prietaisas, dažniausiai naudojamas kelio dangu nesurištu sluoksniu tamprumo moduliui nustatyti. Straipsnyje apžvelgta, kaip PFWD naudojamas kelio dangu sluoksniu tamprumo moduliams matuoti. Taikant PFWD išbandyti skirtinguose projektuose Teherane (Iranas) panaudoti kelio dangu skerspjūviai. Bandiniams papildomai atlikti Kalifornijos santykinio atsparumo rodiklio CBR (angl. California bearing ratio) nustatymo eksperimentiniai tyrimai. Atliekant lauko tyrimus naudoti skirtingi PFWD bandymu parametrai: krintantis svoris, kritimo aukštis, plokštes skersmuo ir papildomai išdestyti geofonai. PFWD nustatyti tamprumo moduliai palyginti su tamprumo moduliais, išmatuotais naudojant krintančio svorio deflektometra FWD (angl. falling weight deflectometer). Nustatyta, kad PFWD matavimu rezultatams didele itaka turi kritimo mase ir apkrovimo plokštes matmenys. Gauti eksperimentiniu tyrimu rezultatai parode, kad PFWD, FWD ir CBR matavimai gerai koreliuoja tarpusavyje.

Author(s):  
Kamal Tawfiq ◽  
John Sobanjo ◽  
Jamshid Armaghani

The reality of curvilinear relationships of stiffness versus deformation is usually neglected when moduli values from seismic methods are compared with those of deflection methods. On the basis of extensive field testing, results showed that moduli values for the base layers from deflection methods did not conform to those of seismic methods. Deflection testing techniques were signified by the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) and the Dynaflect methods. Seismic testing was carried out by use of the seismic pavement analyzer (SPA) method. The SPA test results yielded moduli values higher than those obtained from the deflection methods. Utilizing pavement parameters obtained from the SPA data, researchers determined surface deflections by use of frequency response functions of signals from the two groups of sensors used in the testing setup. Because of the types of hammers in the SPA testing, two different deflection basins were obtained at each testing point. Comparison of surface deflections from these methods indicated that deflection amplitudes from the FWD method were about 100 times higher than those obtained from the high-frequency hammer of the SPA. At certain pavement sections, deflections from the Dynaflect method were comparable to those obtained with the SPA low-frequency hammer. Accordingly, curvilinear relationships between surface deformation versus stiffness values were derived. These relationships can be used to determine moduli values at all surface deflections, including those from service loads.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-57
Author(s):  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Pavana Vennapusa ◽  
David Joshua White

There are plenty of in situ tests available to examine pavement foundation performance regarding stiffness and support conditions. This study evaluates several in situ tests of the stiffness and support conditions of concrete pavement foundation layers. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the outputs from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and Falling Weight Deflectometer tests. The California Bearing Ratio from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests and the deflection data from Falling Weight Deflectometer tests were correlated to the design parameter – modulus of subgrade reaction k through correlations employed in pavement design manuals. Three methods for obtaining the k values were conducted, with the intent to evaluate which method provides the results most similar to the target value and whether the studied correlations are reliable. The back-calculated k values from Falling Weight Deflectometer deflections and the weak layer California Bearing Ratio correlated k values based on the Portland Cement Association method were close to the target value, while the California Bearing Ratio empirically correlated k based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials method presented values significantly higher than the target value. Those previously reported correlations were likely to overestimate the k values based on subgrade California Bearing Ratio values.


Author(s):  
S. Nazarian ◽  
J. Rojas ◽  
R. Pezo ◽  
D. Yuan ◽  
I. Abdallah ◽  
...  

Resilient modulus of base is an important parameter in the AASHTO pavement design method. However, the manner to determine this parameter is not well defined. Recent efforts in combining the resilient moduli from laboratory testing with those obtained in the field using nondestructive testing devices are presented. Laboratory tests were carried out in two stages. In the first stage, virgin materials from the quarry compacted to optimum moisture content were tested. In the second stage, similar base materials were retrieved from in-service roads. Specimens were prepared and tested at the corresponding field densities and moisture contents. Nondestructive tests were performed with the Falling Weight Deflectometer and the Seismic Pavement Analyzer. Based on tests on 10 different base materials from different parts of Texas, it was concluded that it may be difficult to directly compare moduli from laboratory and field tests; however, they can be combined for effective pavement design.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Junhui Zhang ◽  
Le Ding ◽  
Ling Zeng ◽  
Qianfeng Gao ◽  
Fan Gu

Abstract Based on a highway reconstruction project in southern China, this study aims to put forward a method to determine the proper treatment depth of the existing subgrade. First, some field tests including the Beckman beam deflection test and portable falling weight deflectometer (PFWD) test were carried out. The results showed that there was a good correlation between the Beckman beam deflection (L) and PFWD modulus (Ep). Subsequently, a subgrade section was excavated and backfilled with cement-stabilized soil in layers. Compaction test, dynamic cone penetrometer rate test, plate load test and Beckman beam deflection test were performed to evaluate the treatment effect. To make sure, the subgrade was treated deeply enough, the Beckman beam deflection (L) was used as the controlled indicator among all the measured indexes for it was the hardest metric to meet. According to the design deflection and decreasing law of the measured deflections with the different number of the stabilized layers, the treatment depth was finally determined. As the PFWD test is superior to the deflection test in the detection efficiency, and the deflection value can be calculated from PFWD modulus by correlation formulas, thus the latter index can be used as a more suitable parameter for estimating the treatment depth instead of the former. Consequently, based on the measured PFWD moduli of the existing subgrade, six treatment schemes considering different treatment depths were proposed. It was confirmed that the method developed from this study is feasible and worth being extensively applied.


Author(s):  
Douglas Steele ◽  
Hyung Suk Lee ◽  
Curt Beckemeyer ◽  
Thomas Van

Traffic speed deflection devices (TSDDs) have been developed since around 2000 to allow for safe and efficient structural evaluation of highway networks. One barrier to TSDD implementation is the inherent differences in deflections produced by moving truck loads and by falling weight deflectometer (FWD), the current deflection testing standard. To better understand the differences in data produced by the two devices, FHWA sponsored research into one particular TSDD, the rolling wheel deflectometer (RWD). The study utilized the finite layer program ViscoWave to model both FWD and RWD loads to demonstrate the effect of their inherent differences on pavement deflections and other simulated parameters. In addition, ViscoWave was used to generate theoretical FWD and RWD deflections for a diverse set of pavement structures and subgrade conditions. The resulting deflections were used to develop correlations between the two devices, which were validated with side-by-side FWD and RWD field tests performed on 23 sites. The research determined that the differences between FWD and RWD deflections vary depending on pavement factors and loading characteristics. The two devices produced similar deflections on thicker, stiffer, lower-deflection pavements, while the FWD produced relatively higher deflections on thinner, weaker, higher-deflection pavements. Therefore, use of common FWD data analysis programs will produce different results, such as layer moduli, for TSDD devices. Advanced analysis routines capable of modeling the TSDD’s moving load and loading configurations are needed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Primusz ◽  
József Péterfalvi ◽  
Gergely Markó ◽  
Csaba Tóth

Abstract The paper introduces a new method for calculating the elastic moduli of pavement layers. The method requires only two input parameters: the thickness of the upper „bound” layer and the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) or Improved Benkelman Beam Apparatus (IBBA) measurement data. The authors developed a continuously differentiable regression function, which can be applied to describe the shape of the deflection bowl. Additional parameters of the deflection bowl (e.g. radius of curvature, position of inflexion point) can be calculated based on the regression function. FWD measurements were simulated running the BISAR (Bitumen Stress Analysis in Roads) software on different pavement variations. Outputs of the simulations were further processed with self-developed software. As a result, a series of diagrams were elaborated, by which the elastic moduli of the pavement layers can be determined.


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