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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

Report
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-RD-02-034
Date: September 2005

Long-Term Pavement Performance Materials Characterization Program: Verification of Dynamic Test Systems With An Emphasis On Resilient Modulus

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Foreword

As part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program materials characterization effort, a quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) procedure was developed to verify the ability of the laboratory equipment and personnel to perform LTPP Protocol P46 resilient modulus testing. This effort is documented in report FHWA-RD-96-176, Resilient Modulus of Unbound Materials (LTPP Protocol P46) Laboratory Startup and Quality Control Procedures.

Since the issuance of that report in February 1997, a great deal of experience has been gathered in using the procedure. The purpose of this document is to further expand the concepts introduced in FHWA-RD-96-176 and incorporate the lessons learned in the past few years. In addition, the procedures documented in this report have been written in a more generic sense so that their use can be more broadly applied in the materials characterization industry. While the procedures outlined herein are principally designed to verify resilient modulus testing operations within a laboratory, extension of these concepts to other test procedures can be made with little or no modification.

The implementation of FHWA-RD-96-176 has had a great impact on achieving repeatable, reliable, high-quality resilient modulus data for the LTPP program. It is envisioned that the broader application of these procedures and processes in other test programs may bring a benefit to a broader community interested in the acquisition of accurate, repeatable test results from dynamic test systems.

Gary L. Henderson
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Technical Report Documentation Page

 

1. Report No.

FHWA-RD-02-034

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Long-Term Pavement Performance Materials Characterization Program: Verification of Dynamic Test Systems With an Emphasis on Resilient Modulus

5. Report Date

September 2005

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)

Jonathan L. Groeger and Anders Bro, Ph.D.

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Axiom Decision Systems, Inc.
6420 Dobbin Road, Suite E
Columbia, MD 21045

Geotest Unlimited
27069 N. Bloomfield Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-95-Z-00086

12. Sponsoring Agency's Name and Address

Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Long-Term Pavement Performance Team
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency's Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative?Aramis López, HRDI-13

16. Abstract

This document describes a procedure for verifying a dynamic testing system (closed-loop servohydraulic).  The procedure is divided into three general phases: (1) electronic system performance verification, (2) calibration check and overall system performance verification, and (3) proficiency testing.  This procedure may be used to evaluate a wide range of equipment and has applications to many test procedures.  Implementation of this procedure in the Federal Highway Administration contractor laboratories has greatly reduced the within- and between-lab variability associated with the Long-Term Pavement Performance resilient modulus test procedures.

17. Key Words

Resilient Modulus; Quality Control; Quality Assurance; Laboratory Testing; Servohydraulic; LTPP

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

104

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized

SI (Modern Metric) Conversion Factors

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. GENERAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
  3. ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION PROCEDURE
  4. CALIBRATION CHECK AND OVERALL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION PROCEDURE
  5. PROFICIENCY PROCEDURE
  6. SUMMARY

APPENDIX A. SAMPLE DATA COLLECTION FORMS

APPENDIX B. DETERMINATION OF PHASE ANGLE

LIST OF FIGURES

  1. Graph. Sample electrical schematic of voltage divider.
  2. Chart. Example of micrometer reading versus displacement.
  3. Graph. Sample 445 N proving ring loading pattern.
  4. Graph. Example of proving ring versus load cell check.
  5. Graph. Example of proving ring versus LVDT check.
  6. Graph. Example of load pulse analysis.
  7. Graph. Example of deformation response analysis.
  8. Graph. Sample results of dynamic haversine check, 445 N load cell.
  9. Graph. Example of system dynamic response check of 445 N proving ring, 1 Hz.
  10. Graph. Example of load versus time check.
  11. Graph. Example of deformation response analysis, type 1.
  12. Graph. Example of P46 type 1 (base/subbase) results.
  13. Form. Sample checklist for base/subbase proficiency procedure.
  14. Form. Sample form 1—data collection channel check.
  15. Form. Sample form 2—determination of load cell zero reading.
  16. Form. Sample form 3—load cell check.
  17. Form. Sample form 4—dynamic load versus deformation check.
  18. Form. Sample form 5—triaxial cell check.
  19. Form. Sample form 6—environmental chamber check.
  20. Form. Sample form 7—checklist for proficiency procedure
  21. Form. Sample form 8—checklist for asphalt proficiency procedure

LIST OF TABLES

  1. Example load cell channel attenuation and time delay.
  2. Example of LVDT conditioner attenuation and time delay.
  3. Example of summary results for electronics check.
  4. Sample of deformation calibration verification dataset.
  5. Load cell zero example.
  6. Sample static loading parameters.
  7. Sample loading specification for 445 N proving ring.
  8. Sample results of static load testing of 445 N load cell.
  9. Example of inside versus outside deformation readings.
  10. Example of subgrade loading parameters.
  11. Example of subgrade dynamic loading parameters.
  12. Example base/subbase loading parameters.
  13. Example of subgrade dynamic loading parameters.
  14. Example of asphalt concrete dynamic testing parameters.
  15. Example of load versus deformation time delay results.
  16. Example of summary dynamic loading results.
  17. Example of deformation balance check results.
  18. Example of dynamic response acceptance results.
  19. Sample phase angle test results.
  20. Example of pressure test results.
  21. Example of environmental chamber test results.
  22. Sample results of load pulse and deformation response analysis.
  23. Sample results of calculation verification.
  24. Sample results of conformance checks.
  25. Sample results of LVDT coefficient of variance (CV) check.
  26. Sample results of LVDT ratio check.

FHWA-RD-02-034

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