Characterization of Mechanistic-Empirical Design Properties of Granular Materials and Effects of Compaction Method

Application of gyratory compaction as an alternative compaction method for granular materials is investigated in this study. Impact hammer compaction is the prevalent compaction technique of granular materials. The effects of using Superpave gyratory compactor on the behavior of granular materials are investigated in this study. An experimental program is performed on both specimens compacted with the gyratory compactor and impact hammer. Engineering properties and mechanical response in terms of resilient modulus are studied. Resilient modulus is the primary property in mechanistic-empirical design for responses to cyclic loading. Filter paper test is conducted to measure the soil suction as the significant variable in unsaturated soils behavior. Then, the soil water characteristic curve is generated. A resilient modulus model incorporating matric suction is studied. Testing and modeling of the resilient modulus demonstrate the combined effects of soil suction, compaction method, and aggregate imaging system (AIMS) parameters. Results also show that the gyratory compactor produces different compacted materials from impact hammer compaction.