Project

Extended Monitoring of Performance of Wicking Geotextile to Mitigate Pumping in Pavement Shoulder

Team

Dr. Xiong Zhang
Missouri University of Science & Technology

Description

In a recently completed project, a full-scale test section located along I-44 highway in Missouri was constructed and monitored to investigate the effect of a new type of wicking geotextile to enhance pavement drainage and mitigate water pumping. Analyzing one year of data acquired from the sensors shows that the wicking geotextile has successfully reduced the volumetric water content of the base course material up to 5%-10% and enhanced the pavement drainage capacity. Observations showed that the efficiency of wicking geotextile is considerably better than conventional drainage systems including French drains when the pavement is under unsaturated condition. The main objective of this project is to maintain the data collection system at the I44 test sections and continue to monitor the long term performance of the H2Ri wicking fabric at the test site in the next three years. The expected research results will be field monitoring data, and associated findings and recommendations on using H2Ri wicking fabric in addressing durability related issues in pavement system, which will benefit pavement longevity and significantly reduce the State budget on repair and maintenance.

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