MPC
Project Details

Title:	Use of Geogrid in Pavement Systems to Provide Longer Service Life and Reduced Maintenance
Principal Investigators:	Evert Lawton and Pedro Romero
University:	University of Utah
Status:	Completed
Year:	2019
Grant #:	69A3551747108 (FAST Act)
Project #:	MPC-587
RH Display ID:	12487
Keywords:	field tests, geogrids, laboratory tests, pavement maintenance, properties of materials, service life

Abstract

In 2010, a section of roadway on Utah SR 10 near Emery, Utah was reconstructed using a geogrid-reinforced pavement system. This project was intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of geogrid in reducing cost, providing longer service life, and reducing long-term maintenance of the pavement system. This roadway carries between 200 to 300 coal trucks per day in each direction. A test section was constructed first to evaluate the effectiveness of four different biaxial geogrids. While this test section has performed well, much of the remaining roadway section has required significant multiple maintenance procedures to keep it functional. The primary objectives of this research project are to evaluate forensically the test section and the rest of the roadway to determine why the test section has performed well but the rest has not; evaluate the performance of each of the four geogrids; determine the benefit, if any, provided by the geogrid to the pavement system; and develop methods to evaluate the use of geogrid on other pavement systems. These objectives will be accomplished by obtaining and evaluating distress data and field construction records; analyzing historical FWD data; performing other field tests to evaluate the engineering properties of the pavement system and subgrade soils; obtaining samples of the asphaltic wearing surface, the supporting soils and the geogrid; conducting various laboratory tests on collected samples to determine their engineering properties; and performing large-scale tests in the University of Utah's 42-inch diameter pipe test setup to compare the performance of each geogrid under controlled testing conditions.

Project Deliverables

• [Final Report] Forensic Evaluation of Geogrid-Reinforced Flexible Pavement Sections on SR-10 near Emery, Utah — MPC-23-498
  • View Research Brief

Project Word Files

• Show project Word files
  • Full Description (Word, 37K)
  • UTC Project Information (Word, 21K)

  Note to project PIs: please use the Track Changes feature when editing the above Word file(s). Updated document(s) should be emailed to ndsu.ugpti@ndsu.edu.