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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
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REPORT |
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Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-18-052 Date: October 2018 |
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-18-052 Date: October 2018 |
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The following changes were made to the document after publication on the Federal Highway Administration website:
Location | Incorrect Values | Corrected Values |
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TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE, Box 15 |
Nadarajah Sivaneswaran (HRDI-20; ORCID: 0000-0002-3525-9165), Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, served as the Contracting Officer’s Representative. | Nadarajah Sivaneswaran (HRDI-20; ORCID: 0000-0003-0287-664X), Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, served as the Contracting Officer’s Representative. |
The movement of superheavy loads (SHLs) on the Nation’s highways is an increasingly common, vital economic necessity for many important industries, such as chemical, oil, electrical, and defense. Many superheavy components are extremely large and heavy (gross vehicle weights in excess of a few million pounds), and they often require specialized trailers and hauling units. At times, SHL vehicles have been assembled to suit the load being transported, and therefore, the axle configurations have not been standard or consistent. Accommodating SHL movements without undue damage to highway infrastructure requires the determination of whether the pavement is structurally adequate to sustain the SHL movement and protect any underground utilities. Such determination involves analyzing the likelihood of instantaneous or rapid load-induced shear failure of the pavement structure.
The goal of this project was to develop a comprehensive analysis process for evaluating SHL movement on flexible pavements. As part of this project, a comprehensive mechanistic-based analysis approach consisting of several analysis procedures was developed for flexible pavement structures and documented in a 10-volume series of Federal Highway Administration reports—a final report and 9 appendices.(1–9) This is Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, Volume IV: Appendix C, Material Characterization for Superheavy Load Movement Analysis, which describes the material characterization required to predict pavement responses within the structure when subjected to an SHL-vehicle movement. This report is intended for use by highway agency pavement engineers responsible for assessing the structural adequacy of pavements in the proposed route and identifying mitigation strategies, where warranted, in support of the agency’s response to SHL-movement permit requests.
Cheryl Allen Richter, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development
Notice
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document.
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.
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Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-18-052 |
2. Government Accession No.
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3 Recipient's Catalog No.
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4. Title and Subtitle
Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, Volume IV: Appendix C, Material Characterization for Superheavy Load Movement Analysis |
5. Report Date
October 2018 |
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6. Performing Organization Code
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7. Author(s)
Hadi Nabizadeh (ORCID: 0000-0001-8215-1299), Elie Y. Hajj (ORCID: 0000-0001-8568-6360), Raj V. Siddharthan (ORCID: 0000-0002-3847-7934), and Sherif Elfass (ORCID: 0000-0003-3401-6513) |
8. Performing Organization Report No.
WRSC-UNR-201710-01C |
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9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
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11. Contract or Grant No.
DTFH61-13-C-00014 |
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12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Final Report; August 2013–July 2018 |
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14. Sponsoring Agency Code
HRDI-20 |
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15. Supplementary Notes
Nadarajah Sivaneswaran (HRDI-20; ORCID: 0000-0002-3525-9165), Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, served as the Contracting Officer’s Representative. |
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16. Abstract
The movement of superheavy loads (SHLs) has become more common over the years, since it is a vital necessity for many important industries, such as chemical, oil, electrical, and defense. SHL hauling units are much larger in size and weight compared to standard trucks. SHL vehicles’ gross vehicle weights may be in excess of a few million pounds, so they often require specialized trailers and components with nonstandard spacing between the tires and axles. Accommodating SHL movement requires the determination of whether the pavement is structurally adequate and involves the analysis of the likelihood of instantaneous or rapid load-induced shear failure. As part of this Federal Highway Administration project, Analysis Procedures for Evaluating Superheavy Load Movement on Flexible Pavements, procedures for characterizing properties of the existing pavement layers were developed. This report describes the material characterization required to predict pavement responses (stresses, strains, and deflections) within the pavement structure when subjected to SHL-vehicle movement. An overall step-by-step procedure is presented for determining the damaged dynamic modulus master curve for the asphalt-concrete layer. An analogous procedure is also presented for determining the resilient modulus of unbound materials as a function of the state of stresses based on falling weight deflectometer measurements. |
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17. Key Words
Superheavy load, flexible pavement, damaged dynamic modulus, resilient modulus, nondestructive testing |
18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. |
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19. Security Classification (of this report) Unclassified |
20. Security Classification (of this page) Unclassified |
21. No. of Pages
34 |
22. Price
N/A |
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) | Reproduction of completed page authorized |