Journal Published Online: 20 May 2015
Volume 38, Issue 6

Laboratory Model Test on Contact Erosion of Dispersive Soil Beneath Pavement Layers

CODEN: GTJODJ

Abstract

Contact erosion failure beneath the pavement layer is frequently under-estimated. The risk of contact erosion failure is high at the interface of pavement embankment constructed on granular working platform material, particularly due to the higher constriction size than the embankment material. In addition, this type of failure occurs in the long-term process and it is furthermore difficult to identify, assess, and mitigate these failures initially. A new laboratory erosion test apparatus was developed in this research and its suitability for determining the risk of pavement deformation due to contact erosion failure as a result of vertical ground water fluctuations at the pavement embankment foundation was assessed. The suitability of this apparatus for the study of contact erosion failure below the pavement layer was examined by studying the erosion rate of dispersive clayey soil placed on the coarse aggregate layer. The soil layer was saturated in five different water cycles and water was allowed to draw down after saturation period for each cycle. The erosion test apparatus developed in this study was found to be suitable and reliable for determining the contact erosion failure under vertical ground water fluctuation beneath the pavement layer.

Author Information

Jegatheesan, Piratheepan
Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Melbourne, AU
Sothilingam, Premkumar
Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Melbourne, AU
Arulrajah, Arul
Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Melbourne, AU
Disfani, M.
Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Melbourne, AU University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AU
Rajeev, Pathmanathan
Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Melbourne, AU
Pages: 9
Price: $25.00
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Details
Stock #: GTJ20140179
ISSN: 0149-6115
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ20140179