Mechanical characteristics of hydrated cement treated crushed rock base for Western Australian road base

Abstract

Hydrated Cement Treated Crushed Rock Base (HCTCRB) is a cement stabilized base course produced by adding 2% Portland cement to standard crushed rock base. The mix is stockpiled for specified hydration period and then retreated to retain unbound property. HCTCRB has been used based on empirical approach and experiences causing uncertainty during production and construction processes. Consequently, the material characterisation of HCTCRB in accordance with the pavement mechanistic approach is strongly required to understand the material behavior to maximize its uses. This paper aims to present the mechanical characteristics of HCTCRB in terms of resilient modulus using repeated load triaxial tests. The experiments were conducted to study the influences of various factors during production process (i.e. cement content, mixing moisture content and hydration period) on HCTCRB properties. HCTCRB were also examined its conformity to the definition of modified granular materials, according to Austroads standard.