Mitigating Dry Shrinkage Pavement Cracking by Geocell

University Transportation Centers Program2019PDFTech ReportYang, XiaomingOklahoma State University. School of Civil & Environmental EngineeringSouthern Plains Transportation CenterUnited States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and TechnologyUnited States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) ProgramSouthern Plains Transportation CenterUnited StatesAggregate mixturesAsphalt concreteGeosyntheticsMechanically stabilized earthPavement crackingPavement designShrinkageSwelling soilsFlexible pavementsGeocellSPTC15.1-06DTRT13-G-UTC36Final Report March 2016 \u2013 November 2019Dry shrinkage cracking in pavements is currently one of the most outstanding Geotechnical problems in Oklahoma as well as in other southern plain states such as Texas and Louisiana due to the wide distribution of expansive soils in this region. The shrinkage problem on thinly pavement asphalt pavements over subgrade soil can potentially be mitigated by the use of a geocell-reinforced aggregate base layer or a geocell-reinforced soil base layer under the asphalt surface course. In this study, two types of pavement structure were recommended, asphalt concrete over a geocell reinforced aggregate base and asphalt concrete over soil base. Currently there is no design method available for flexible pavements with a geocell reinforced base. A preliminary design method was developed in this study, which is compatible to the current AASHTO MEPDG.132