Angelica M. Palomino

FABRIC MAP FOR KAOLINITE: EFFECTS OF pH AND IONIC CONCENTRATION ON BEHAVIOR

The behavior of fine-grained mineral systems is dependent on pore-fluid characteristics. The systematic analysis of previously published studies supports the development of a fabric map in the pH and ionic concentration space as a working hypothesis. This conceptual study is complemented with an extensive battery of tests where surface charge and particle interactions are controlled through pore-fluid characteristics. The macro-scale tests include sedimentation, viscosity and liquid limit, and involve a wide range of solid volume fractions (suspension to sediment) and strain levels. Experimental results permit the development of an updated fabric map on the pH-ionic concentration space which takes into consideration all experimental results. The fabric map is structured around a critical pH level and a threshold ionic concentration beyond which van der Waals attraction prevails.

Evaluation of geogrids for stabilising weak pavement subgrade

This study attempts to identify mechanical and physical properties of geogrids that are critical to their effectiveness in the stabilisation of pavement subgrade. Geogrid properties, including aperture size, wide-width tensile strength and junction strength, for four geogrid products are correlated with bench-scale interface test results, including direct shear and pull-out, and accelerated pavement testing (APT) results. APT is conducted through the use of a one-third scale APT device, the model mobile load simulator (MMLS3) on geogrid-reinforced pavement sections. The pavement sections are constructed on a subgrade soil with a low California bearing ratio. The performance of each pavement section is evaluated by measuring surface rutting at various trafficking stages. The analysis reveals a strong relationship between performance and junction and tensile strength of geogrids at small strains, whereas aperture size has a positive correlation with pull-out test results.

MIXTURES OF FINE-GRAINED MINERALS KAOLINITE AND CARBONATE GRAINS

The behavior of mineral mixtures can be significantly different from the behavior of the individual components of the mixture due to differences between the mechanical and chemical properties of the individual minerals, and their ensuing effects on interparticle interactions and fabric formation. This study examines mixtures of kaolinite and calcium carbonate at different mass fractions using sedimentation, viscosity, and liquid-limit tests. These macroscale tests represent a wide range of solid-volume fractions and strain levels, with emphasis on high water-content conditions to magnify the effects of electrical forces. The results demonstrate that interparticle interactions depend on mineral surface-fluid effects, particle geometry, relative particle size, and solids content. With small solids contents, the kaolinite/calcium carbonate mixture behavior is a function of electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged mineral particles that promote flocculation; however, with large solids contents, the specific surface area of the minerals is the controlling factor. These results are relevant to many natural soil environments and to the possible development of engineered mineral mixtures for industrial applications.

Responsive polymer conformation and resulting permeability of clay–polymer nanocomposites

Changes in conformation are inherently critical to the behaviour of tunable clay–polymer nanocomposites (CPNs), including swelling potential and permeability. We investigated the conformational behaviour of a pH-responsive polymer and an expandable clay through dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) and pressurised permeability tests. Three different conditions were studied by DPD: (1) polymer in an aqueous solution, (2) polymer adsorbed on a clay surface and (3) polymer sandwiched between two clay surfaces. Pressurised permeability tests were conducted to investigate the pH-dependency of the CPN material. DPD simulations showed extended conformation of the polymer at high pH resulting in large interlayer spacing. Contracted coil conformation of the polymer led to small interlayer spacing at low pH. Intermediate conformation (expanded coil) and interlayer spacing were observed at pH near the pK a value of the polymer. Swelling of the CPN increased with increasing pH resulting in permeability reduction. The combined results of the experimental permeability tests and DPD simulations indicate that as the interlayer spacing increased with increasing pH, the permeability of CPN decreased. Thus, conformational changes of polymer molecules can be related to swelling potential of CPN and its tunability predicted as a function of pH for a desirable minimal permeability.

Reinforcement Tensile Behavior Under Cyclic Moving Wheel Loads

Numerous studies have revealed the benefits of using geogrids in a flexible pavement, especially for reducing permanent deformation. One of the questions that remain about the effectiveness of a geogrid in reinforcing of pavement is the extent to which the geogrid is engaged and mobilized throughout its service. This paper presents results of a laboratory study on various geogrid products embedded in flexible-pavement sections. The laboratory-scale pavement sections were subjected to cyclic moving wheel loads by using reduced-scale accelerated pavement testing (APT). During the APT, strains that developed in the geogrids were measured at intervals of loading applications by strain gauges installed in pairs on the upper and lower surfaces of the geogrid ribs. Permanent deformation of the subgrade was also measured at the same intervals of loading applications. The measurements of geogrid strains throughout the construction process indicated that the construction resulted in a considerable prestressing effect on the geogrids. Measurements from the individual strain gauges in pairs showed that the gauges installed on the upper surfaces of the ribs were in compression while those on the lower surfaces were in tension; the situation suggested a significant effect on the flexural deflection of the ribs on the tensile strain measurements from the strain gauges. Furthermore, it was observed that geogrid ribs in the longitudinal direction of traffic loading were not mobilized, while considerable strains were developed in geogrid ribs in the direction transverse to traffic loading. A clear correlation was found between the reinforcing forces developed in the geogrids and the performance of the reinforced subgrade in relation to resisting permanent deformation.

Permanent deformation behaviour of reinforced flexible pavements built on soft soil subgrade

This study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of using various geogrid products to improve permanent deformation resistance in soft subgrade soils commonly encountered during roadway construction in Pennsylvania. Permanent deformation behaviours of the soft soils both with and without the inclusion of geogrids were investigated. Cyclic moving wheel loads were applied through a reduced-scale accelerated pavement testing (APT) device, a one-third-scale model mobile load simulator (MMLS3). Tests were conducted on two soil types, each modified with three different biaxial geogrids placed at the base–subgrade interface. The total permanent deformation/surface rutting of the pavement and the permanent deformation of the subgrade were measured at selected intervals of the wheel loading applications. The pavement sections were trenched upon completion of the accelerated testing to measure the deformed profiles of the cross sections from which the permanent deformations in the asphalt layer and the base layer were determined. Sections modified with geogrids were found to have similar performance with the control section in terms of the total permanent deformation. While the geogrids did not show significant effects on the asphalt layer permanent deformation, sections with geogrids consistently showed a significantly higher base layer permanent deformation as compared to the control sections. Measurements of the subgrade permanent deformation showed that two of the geogrids consistently reduced the permanent deformation of subgrade built with the two types of soft soil. The relative layer contribution to the total permanent deformation suggested a base layer failure in both sets of the accelerated tests, most likely due to the inadequate compaction of the base layer during construction. Sections modified with geogrids exhibited a significantly higher base layer contribution, along with a significantly lower subgrade contribution, to the total permanent deformation, whereas the control section showed the opposite of the layer contributions.

CONFORMATIONAL EFFECTS OF ADSORBED POLYMER ON THE SWELLING BEHAVIOR OF ENGINEERED CLAY MINERALS

The conformational behavior of polymers in clay-polymer nanocomposites (CPN) is not fully understood because of the many factors involved. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the conformational behavior of a polymer at the micro- and meso-scales in order to predict the behavior of tunable CPN. The study used a pH-responsive polymer, polyacrylamide, which has time-dependent hydrolysis response properties, to examine micro-scale conformational behavior of the polymer adsorbed on representative clay-mineral surfaces, SiO2 and Al2O3. A nanocomposite and a microcomposite were used to link meso-scale CPN behavior to micro-scale polymer conformation. The conformational behavior was characterized using in situ, real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry. The contracted coil conformation of polyacrylamide was observed at pH = 3, while extended conformation was observed at pH = 11.5 on both SiO2 and Al2O3 surfaces. At pH = 11.5, the polymer conformation changed from expanded coil to extended conformation over time. The polymer conformation changed more rapidly with the Al2O3 surface due to mineral dissolution at pH = 3 and 11.5. Swelling tests were conducted as functions of pH and time to link the micro-scale phenomena to meso-scale CPN behavior. The results indicated that the swelling potential of CPN corresponded to the conformation of adsorbed polyacrylamide, which varied with pH and time. The swelling potential of CPN was maximized at pH = 11.5 and decreased with decreasing pH, corresponding to the observed micro-scale conformational behavior.

Resilient and Permanent Deformation Characteristics of Unbound Pavement Layers Modified by Geogrids

The benefits of geogrids in reducing permanent deformation of flexible pavements are generally recognized and have been shown in numerous studies. In contrast, although resilient moduli of unbound materials are important property inputs in mechanistic–empirical pavement design, the impact of geogrids on the resilient behavior of unbound layers remains unclear from previous studies. This paper focuses on resilient behavior of unbound layers and permanent deformation of subgrades modified by geogrids at the base–subgrade interface. Two sets of tests were conducted on scaled pavements built over two types of soil. Each set of tests consisted of four sections. Three were modified with different geogrids and one was left unmodified as a control. Instruments were installed to measure the subgrades’ resilient and permanent deformations. The pavement layers were tested with a lightweight deflectometer (LWD). Surface deflections and subgrade resilient deformation under impulsive LWD loads were recorded. The test sections were then subjected to repetitive reduced-scale moving-wheel loading. Subgrade resilient and permanent deformations were measured at select intervals of the wheel passes. The measurements of surface deflection and subgrade resilient deformation under the LWD load indicate that the geogrids did not have an appreciable impact on the resilient behavior of the base layer and subgrade. Subgrade resilient deformations, along with the repetitive wheel loads, also suggest that the effects of the geogrids on the resilient responses of the subgrade were not evident. However, two of the geogrids consistently exhibited benefits in reducing permanent deformation in the subgrade.

Accelerated Testing of Geogrid-Reinforced Subgrade in Flexible Pavements

This paper describes a pit-scale experimental study aimed at quantifying and evaluating geogrid reinforcement in flexible pavements. Two sets of pavement sections are constructed on two different subgrades and trafficked using a Model Mobile Load Simulator (MMLS3). Each set of test sections consists of the same pavement materials and structure except for the geogrid type used for stabilizing the subgrade. Rutting of all sections are measured using a profilometer at various trafficking stages. Geogrid reinforcement effectiveness is found to be related to the difference in geogrids properties. Test results show that the geogrid reinforcement enhances the pavement performance with respect to rutting resistance compared to a non-reinforced system.

Relationships between physical-geochemical soil properties and erodibility of streambanks among different physiographic provinces of Tennessee, USA

Erosion of cohesive soils in fluvial environments is dependent on physical, geochemical and biological properties, which govern inter-particle attraction forces and control detachment rates from stream beds and banks. Most erosion rate models are based on the excess shear stress equation where the soil erodibility coefficient (kd) is multiplied by the difference between the boundary hydraulic shear stress (τb) and the soil critical shear stress (τc). Both kd and τc are a function of soil properties and must be obtained through in-situ field or laboratory testing. Many studies have generated predictive relationships for kd and τc derived from various soil properties. These studies typically were conducted in watersheds within a single physiographic region with a common surficial geology and/or investigated a limited number of soil properties, particularly geochemical properties. With widely reported differences in relationships between τc and soil properties, this study investigated differences in predictive relationships for τc among different physiographic provinces in Tennessee, USA. Erodibility parameters were determined in the field using a mini-jet test device. Among these provinces, statistically four unique clusters were identified from a dataset of 128 sample sites and these data clusters were used to develop predictive models for τc to identify dominant properties governing erosion. In these clusters, 16 significant physical and geochemical soil properties were identified for τc prediction. Among these soil properties, water content and passing#200 sieve (% soil less than 75 μm) were the dominant controlling prameters to predict τc in addition to clay % (< 2 μm), bulk density, and soil pore water chemistry. This study suggests that unique relationships exist for physiographic provinces that are likely due to soil physiochemical processes associated with surficial geology that determine minerology properties of the cohesive soil.