Characterization of hydrated cement treated crushed rock base as a road base material in Western Australia using disturbed state concept

Abstract

To design road pavement in Western Australia, Hydrated Cement Treated Crushed Rock Base (HCTCRB) is normally used as base course material. HCTCRB has been used and designed based on practical experience and empirical approach but these cannot explain the behaviour of HCTCRB base course. Currently, analysis and design and behaviour of structural pavement can be more reliable and more understood by the use of a mechanistic approach, one of which is the Disturbed State Concept (DSC). The purpose of this study is to assess the mechanical characteristics of HCTCRB by modelling the results of laboratory tests using DSC. Conventional triaxial tests and Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT) tests, following the Austroads-APRG 00/33 test standard, were performed and the experimental results were used to construct the DSC equation for HCTCRB. Also, the effect of moisture content on the behaviour of HCTCRB was investigated. The results reveal that the resilient modulus characteristics of HCTCRB can be modelled by the use of the proposed DSC equation.