Summary Resilient Modulus Prediction Model for Unbound Coarse Materials

Abstract

The resilient modulus of base and subbase layers is a needed parameter in mechanistic pavement analysis and design. The standard test procedure for measuring the resilient modulus is complex and the setup may not be available in basic pavement and materials laboratories. This study developed a prediction model for the resilient modulus as a function of material properties that are simple to measure. These properties include maximum dry density, optimum moisture content, and coefficient of curvature. The developed model was found to provide good correlation between the modulus of resilience and the laboratory-measured properties. This model can be used to estimate the resilient modulus value as an input to the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design version 2.5.5 software with reasonable accuracy. In addition, this study compared the resilient modulus values calculated based on internal deformation and external deformation as measured in standard AASHTO test procedure test protocol. It was found that the calculated resilient modulus based on the internal sample deformation was about 24% higher than that determined from external deformation.