• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.59-68
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• 2017

PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential risk level of road cave-ins due to subsurface cavities based on the deflection basin measured with falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests. METHODS: Ground penetrating radar (GPR) tests were conducted to detect road cavities. Then FWD tests were conducted on 13 pavement test sections with and without a cavity. FWD deflections and a deflection ratio was used to evaluate the effect of geometry of the cavity and pavement for road cave-in potentials. RESULTS : FWD deflection of cavity sections measured at 60 cm or a closer offset distance to a loading center were 50% greater than more robust sections. The average deflection ratio of the cavity sections to robust sections were 1.78 for high risk level cavities, 1.51 for medium risk level cavities, and 1.16 for low risk level cavities. The relative remaining service life of pavement with a cavity evaluated with an surface curvature index (SCI) was 8.1% for the high level, 21.8% for the medium level, and 89.8% compared to pavement without a cavity. CONCLUSIONS : FWD tests can be applied to detect a subsurface cavity by comparing FWD deflections with and without a cavity measured at 60 cm or a closer offset distance to loading center. In addition, the relative remaining service life of cavity sections based on the SCI can used to evaluate road cave-in potentials.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.261-271
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• 2003

A condition evaluation procedure for the pavement foundations using multi-load level Falling Weight Deflectometer(FWD) deflections is presented in this paper. A dynamic finite element program incorporating a stress-dependent material model, was used to generate the synthetic deflection database. Based on this synthetic database, the relationships between surface deflections and critical responses, such as stresses and strains in base and subgrade layers, have been established. FWD deflection data, Dynamic Cone Penetrometer(UP) data, and repeated load resilient modulus testing results used in developing this procedure were collected from the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) database. Research effort focused on investigation of the effect of the FWD load level on the condition evaluation procedures. The results indicate that the proposed procedure can estimate the pavement foundation conditions. It is also found that structurally adjusted Base Damage Index (BDI) and Base Curvature Index (BCI) are good indicators for the prediction of stiffness characteristics of aggregate base and subgrade respectively. A FWD test with a load of 66.7 kN or less does not improve the accuracy of this procedure. Results from the study for the nonlinear behavior of a pavement foundations indicate that the deflection ratio obtained from multi-load level deflections can predict the type and quality of the pavement foundation materials.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.5D
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• pp.797-804
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• 2006

A development of regression model for asphalt concrete pavements using Falling Weight Deflectometer deflections is presented in this paper. A backcalculation program based on layered elastic theory was used to generate the synthetic modulus database, which was used to generate 95% confidence intervals of modulus in each layer. Using deflection basins of FWD data used in developing this procedure were collected from Pavement Management System in flexible pavements. Assumptions of back-calculation are that one is 3 layered flexible pavement structure and another is depth to bedrock is finite. It is found that difference of between 95% confidence intervals and modulus ranges of other papers does not exist. So, the data of 95% confidence intervals in each layer was used to develop multiple regression models. Multiple regression equations of each layer were established by SPSS, package of Statics analysis. These models were proved by regression diagnostics, which include case analysis, multi-collinearity analysis, influence diagnostics and analysis of variance. And these models have higher degree of coefficient of determination than 0.75. So this models were applied to predict modulus of domestic asphalt concrete pavement at FWD field test.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1113-1118
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• 2004

Ballasted track is constructed in consideration of the maintenance. The application time and frequency of MTT(Multiple Tie Tamper) and BS(Ballast Cleaner) depend on track geometry measurements. This paper presents the application of Ground Penetrating Radar(GPR), Falling Weight Deflectometer(FWD), and Portable Ballast Sampler (PBS) to evaluate the effects of track geometry due to substructure deterioration and to build a reliable substructure evaluation system.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.2D
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• pp.227-234
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• 2008

This study examines which models are more suitable for representing mechanical property of unbound materials to analyze behavior of asphalt pavement structure. Results from FWD (Falling Weight Deflectometer) test were used to apply to nonlinear elastic model. The new method which can deduct material constants of nonlinear elastic model is suggested from FWD test data rather than laboratory resilient modulus ($M_R$) test. It is confirmed that the material constants are within the common range in subbase. Test output from FWD and MDD (Multi-Depth Deflectometer) was used to verify reliability of the model. From the results of verification, this study shows that a non-linear elastic model agrees to MDD test data more than a linear elastic model does.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.67-78
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• 1990

An inverse self-iterative procedure is developed to determine layer moduli which are significant for the structural evaluation of pavements in developing rational and analytical rehabilitation technique. Falling weight deflectometer(FWD) is adopted as a non-destructive testing(NDT)device. The layer elastic theory is used to interpret NDT data. The theoretical deflection basins of pavement structures obtained by full factorial design are used for a parametric study on the characteristics of deflection basins and regression analyses. Regression equations to estimate layer moduli of flexible pavements are proposed through the regression analyses of theoretical deflection basins. The relationships between the rate of change of moduli and deflections are developed for the efficient iteration. An inverse self-iterative procedure to ensure the accuracy of the layer moduli is proposed. Validity and applicability of the developed procedure are verified through various numerical model tests.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.25-31
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• 2015

PURPOSES: The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between the FWD back-calculated modulus and dynamic modulus of asphalt layers for existing asphalt pavements. METHODS: To evaluate the dynamic modulus of the asphalt mixture in the existing and new asphalt layers, the uniaxial direct tension test was conducted on small asphalt specimens obtained from the existing asphalt-covered pavements. A dynamic modulus master curve was estimated by using the uniaxial direct tension test for each asphalt layer. The falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing was conducted on the test sections, and the modulus values of pavement layers were back-calculated using the genetic algorithm and the finite element method based back-calculation program. The relationship between measured and back-calculated asphalt layer moduli was examined in this study. The normalized dynamic modulus was adopted to predict the stiffness characteristics of asphalt layers more accurately. RESULTS: From this study, we can conclude that there is no close relationship between dynamic modulus of first layer and back-calculated asphalt modulus. The dynamic moduli of second and third asphalt layers have some relation with asphalt stiffness. Test results also showed that the normalized dynamic modulus of the asphalt mixture is closely related to the FWD back-calculated modulus with 0.73 of R square value. CONCLUSIONS: The back-calculated modulus of asphalt layer can be used as an indicator of the stiffness characteristics of asphalt layers in the asphalt-covered pavements.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.781-786
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• 1999

One of the major causes of concrete pavement deterioration is the loss of support due to erosion and pumping of subbase and subgrade. In this study, procedures for the detection of voids under concrete pavement slab are presented using nondestructive test method such as FWD(Falling Weight Deflectometer) and GPR(Ground Penetration Radar). The deflection responses of concrete slab obtained in FWD field test are analysed for determining the presence of void. Also, reflection responses in GPR test are interpreted. It was concluded that these procedures are available for detecting the viods under concrete pavement slab.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.39-46
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• 2010

In 2007, Iowa department of transportation (DOT) initiated to run the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) network-level testing along Iowa highway and road systems and to build a comprehensive database of deflection data and subsequent structural analysis, which are used for detecting pavement structure failure, estimating expected life, and calculating overlay requirements over a desired design life. Iowa's current FWD networklevel testing protocol requires that pavements are tested at three-drop level with 8-deflection basin collected at each drop level. The test point is determined by the length of the tested pavement section. However, the current FWD network-level program could cover about 20% of Iowa's highway and road systems annually. Therefore, the current FWD network-level test protocol should be simplified to test more than 20% of Iowa's highway and road systems for the network-level test annually. The main objective of this research is to investigate if the minimum number of drop levels and test points could be reduced to increase the testing production rate and reduce the cost of testing and traffic control without sacrificing the quality of the FWD data. Based upon the limited FWD network-level test data of eighty-three composite pavement sections, there was no significant difference between the mean values of three different response parameters when the number of drop levels and test points were reduced from the current FWD network-level testing protocol. As a result, the production rate of FWD tests would increase and the cost of testing and traffic control would be decreased without sacrificing the quality of the FWD data.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.43-48
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• 2017

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of fiber grid reinforcement on the thickness reduction of asphalt pavement. Test sections were constructed on the national highway to evaluate the structural capacity of asphalt pavement with the reinforced fiber grid and normal asphalt pavement. METHODS : Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) tests were performed to measure the structural capacity of test sections. The loads of the FWD test are 4.1 ton, 8.0 ton, 10.0 ton, and loaded twice, respectively. The test sections consist of a reference asphalt pavement section, an asphalt pavement section reduced with a 5-cm base layer thickness, and a fiber grid reinforced asphalt pavement section reduced with a 5-cm base layer thickness. In addition, strain data was collected using strain gauges installed in the test sections. RESULTS : The results of the FWD tests showed that the deflections of the pavement section reinforced with the fiber grid was reduced by about 14% compared with that of the reference asphalt pavement section. The strain at the bottom of the asphalt surface layer of the pavement section reduced to a 5-cm base thickness and reinforced with a fiber grid was similar to that at the bottom of the asphalt layer of the reference asphalt pavement. CONCLUSIONS : The results of the FWD and strain tests showed the possibility of the pavement thickness reduction by reinforcement with a fiber grid.