Effect of Matric Suction on Resilient Modulus of Compacted Aggregate Base Courses

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of matric suction on resilient modulus of unbound aggregate base courses. The study characterized the water characteristic curves and resilient modulus versus matric suction relationships of aggregate base courses that were compacted at different water contents and between 98 and 103 % of the modified Proctor density. The soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) and the relationship between resilient modulus (M _r ) and matric suction (ψ) were established for different unbound granular and recycled asphalt pavement materials. This relationship is important for predicting changes in modulus due to changes in moisture of unbound pavement materials. Resilient modulus tests were conducted according to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 1-28A procedure at varying water contents, and the measured SWCC was used to determine the corresponding matric suction. Three reference summary resilient moduli (SRM) were considered: at optimum water content, optimum water content +2 % and optimum water content −2 %. The Bandia and Bargny limestones are characterized by a higher water-holding capacity which explains why the modulus of limestone was more sensitive to water content than for basalt or quartzite. Limestones tend to be more sensitive to changes in water content and thus to matric suction. The shape of the SWCC depends on the particle size distribution and the cementation properties from dehydration of the aggregates. Material properties required as input to the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-EPDG) to predict changes in resilient modulus in response to changes in moisture contents in the field were determined for implementation in the M-EPDG process. Results show that the SRM was more correlated with matric suction than with compaction water content (for resilient modulus testing). The empirical models commonly used to predict the SWCC such as the Perera et al. (Prediction of the SWCC based on grain-size-distribution and index properties. GSP 130 Advances in Pavement Engineering, ASCE, 2005) and the M-EPDG (NCHRP in Guide for mechanistic-empirical design of pavement structures. National cooperative highway research program. ARA, Inc., ERES Consultants Division, Champaign, IL, 2004) models tend to underestimate the SWCC and cannot provide reasonable estimation. SRM normalized with respect to the SRM at the optimum water content varied linearly with the logarithm of matric suction. Empirical relationships between SRM and matric suction on semi-logarithmic scale were established and are reported.