logo

Scientific Papers

Vol. 16 No. 27 (2014): Journal 27

Granular subbase resistance variation with the variation of plastic fines content in controlled gradations

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/zm5bve46
Submitted
October 30, 2025
Published
2025-10-30

Abstract

Pavement road surfaces wear down due to loading and weather conditions; lower layers (base, subbase and subgrade) conditions and characteristics also influence the structure performance. Influence of plastic fines content may also affect pavement structure deformability and should be a factor to take into account on base and subbase layers. This work quantifies the resistance variation of a subbase material, to propose a potentially feasible range of fine particles content usable in pavement designs.

Determination of resistance were obtained by California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Resilient Modulus laboratory tests, comparing different gradation subbases according to type of fines (plastic or non-plastic) and content of fines (4% - 12%). On subbases with plastic fines, effectiveness of lime as a stabilization additive was evaluated.

Obtained results show that in cases when plastic fine particles in subbases are substituted by non-plastic fines, resistance is increased. Furthermore, when subbase plastic fines content is high, stabilization with lime produce a positive effect on increasing material's resistance. 

References

  1. American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials. Guía para el Diseño de Estructuras de Pavimentos 1993. Washington D.C.: AASHTO. 1993.
  2. American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials. Guía de Diseño de Pavimentos Mecanística-Empírica 2002. Washington D.C.: AASHTO. 2002.
  3. American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials. AASHTO T180-10: Standard Method of Test for Moisture-Density Relations of Soils Using a 4.54-kg (10-lb) Rammer and a 457-mm (18-in.) Drop. Washington D.C.: AASHTO. 2010.
  4. American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials. AASHTO T193-10: Standard Method of Test for The California Bearing Ratio,. Washington D.C.: AASHTO. 20105. American Society for Testing and Materials. ASTM D6276-99a (2006): Standard Test Method for Using pH to Estimate the Soil-Lime Proportion Requirement for Soil Stabilization. Estados Unidos: ASTM. 2006.4. Contraloría General de la República. Análisis y Opinión sobre la Gestión de los Gobiernos Locales en el período 2010. San José, Costa Rica. 2011.
  5. Laboratorio Nacional de Materiales y Modelos Estructurales de la Universidad de Costa Rica (LanammeUCR) & Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT). Manual de especificaciones generales para la construcción de carreteras, caminos y puentes (CR-2010). 2010.
  6. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Laboratory Determination of Resilient Modulus for Flexible Pavement Design. Washington, D.C.: NCHRP. 2005.
  7. Seed H. B., Mitry F. G., Monismith C. L., and Chan C. K. Prediction of Flexible Pavement Deflections from Laboratory Repeated-Loads Tests. NCHRP Report 35, Highway Research Board. 1967.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.