Value of High-Tech Grade Assessment for

Paving Contractor
I-265 Ohio Bridge River Crossing Project, Louisville, IN

David J. White, Ph.D., P.E. Edward Kitzman, P.E.

President and Chief Engineer Senior Project Manager
Ingios Geotechnics, Inc. Walsh Construction

53rd Annual Meeting American Concrete Paving Association Center for Earthworks
Austin, TX
Engineering Research
November 29 to December 1, 2016
I-265 reconstruction is a major infrastructure project in
Louisville Metropolitan Area

• Total project cost $1.3B

• Signature cable stayed bridge, twin
tunnels, numerous grade crossings, 32
Lane Miles roadway, roughly 450,000
SY of Concrete Pavement
• 3M CY of Excavation (2M Rock) and 2M
CY Embankment

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I-265 reconstruction is a major infrastructure project in
Louisville Metropolitan Area

Ready to pave, but:

“Challenged with incomplete QC/QA data, the Project sought

an innovative means to determine if the pavement foundation
design requirements were achieved, and sufficient to ensure
performance through two year warranty and 30 year
Operation and Maintenance periods.”

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Key objective was to assess the as-built conditions of
the pavement foundation layers

Project Scope:
1. Review pavement design values and translate to field
target values.
2. Setup Validated Integrated Compaction Monitoring (VICM)
3. Perform calibration w/Automated Plate Load Test (APLT)
4. Develop color-coded geospatial maps of the in situ Mr
5. Identifying rework/improvement areas.
6. Improve areas that did not achieve the design values.

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Ingios VICM and APLT technologies were implemented
on this project
Outfitted an existing roller Mobilized to project site, conducted
within < 1 day on-site safety training, and initiated
work with 3 person crew.
Ingios
Sensor Automated Plate Load Testing
Package
(APLT)

Validated Integrated
Compaction Monitoring
(VICM)

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Developed methodology to link pavement
design values to field assessment process.
3r
2r
Multi-Layered Elastic
Analysis (MLEA) Approach P (lbs)
D2r D3r
Layer Layer Design
Thickness Moduli Load

Dr

Determine stresses on top of 1

each layer
Select plate size
for in-situ testing
Calculate target surface
deflections for testing on
different layers using MLEA
Field Testing:
1. Use plate size selected in Step 2 and
apply stresses calculated in Step 1
2
2. Perform conditioning cycles (100 on
subgrade to 500 on base) to achieve
near-linear elastic condition

Composite Composite Individual Layer 3. Measure surface and radial

or layered
moduli? deflections to compare with target
3a 3b
values established in Step 3
Determine target deflection Determine target
beneath the plate and deflection basin
composite modulus

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Field testing was designed to measure in-situ composite
resilient modulus, Mr
Resilient
Layer Modulus Thickness Poisson’s
No. Layer Name (psi) (in) Ratio
Aggregate Base Separation Layer
1 30,000 6.0 0.35
INDOT No. 53 Stone
2 Chemically Treated A-7-6 Subgrade 6,250 14.0 0.35
Semi-
3 Natural A-7-6 Subgrade 3,500 0.35
Infinite

Layer Configuration or Plate Composite Resilient

Testing Surface Diameter (in.) Modulus (psi)
18.0 4,825
14 in. Chemically Treated
Subgrade over Natural Subgrade
30.0 4,307

6 in. Aggregate Base over 14 in. 18.0 7,320

Chemically Treated Subgrade
over Natural Subgrade 30.0 5,351

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Ingios Automated Plate Load Testing
Automated control system

30” 18”

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Concurrent APLT calibration and VICM mapping.

APLT VICM

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 APLT – Real Time Resilient Modulus

APLT imparts controlled load pulses Measure permanent and

(e.g., 0.15 sec pulse + 0.45 sec dwell) resilient deflections
0.08 4000
End of Step i Begining Step i+1
Load
Deformation
0.06 3000
Deformation [in.]

Load [lbs]

0.04 2000

Load Pulse = 0.2 [s] load + 0.8 [s] dwell

0.02 1000

0.00 0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time [s]

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 In situ Mr / k-values are tested and
verified with the APLT system
Key Observations on APLT Mr Results:
 Resilient modulus is not constant for
foundation materials until 1000+ cycles.
 Resilient modulus is sensitive to applied
stress conditions - In-situ resilient modulus
testing should be linked to the in-service
(design) stress conditions.
 Reliability is increased when at least 5 to 7
similar tests are performed.
 Extended cycle (25,000+) APLTs can be used
for deformation and durability performance
assessment.

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Automated Plate Load Testing Report:
I-294 NB and SB Lanes, MP. 17.5 to 40.0,
95th Street to Balmoral Ave
“ With the APLT technology, we now have
actual measurements of how well the
subgrade will support the pavement, so we
can avoid overdesign.”
Steve Gillen, PE — IL Tollway Materials Manage

“The Tollway’s objective is to design and reconstruct

this section of expressway in the most cost efficient
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manner for the life of the pavement.”
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 Illinois Tollway – Central Tri-State Tollway, Chicago, IL

Testing Results:

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Subgrade Composite Subbase/Subgrade Composite
Mr = 3,293 psi Mr = 25,162 psi

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Example of in situ APLT results from static and cyclic
tests

0.00 100

Static APLT Cyclic APLT

0.01
80

In-situ M'ru (ksi)

0.02
Deflection (in.)

k'u = 480 pci 60

In-situ M'ru = 49.6 ksi
ku = 387 pci
0.03

40
0.04

20
0.05

30 inch PLT 30 inch PLT

0.06 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 200 400 600 800 1000

Stress (psi) Number of Load Cycles (5 to 15 psi)

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Ingios VICM was calibrated with APLTs at 24 testing
locations.

APLT Test Points

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 Ingios uses a statistically valid calibration process

SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATIONS

For linear regression between X and Y variatbles (to predict Y by measuring X)
Y = True measure of Mr (using field cyclic plate load test)
X = Independent measurement used to correlate to Mr (LWD or D-SPA or other)

𝑋� = 100,000 psi Expected mean of X values

𝐶𝑂𝑉 𝑜𝑓 𝑋 = 30 % Expected COV of X values
𝜀𝑥 /𝑋� = 20 % % Measurement error of X near average X
𝜀𝑥 = 20,000 psi
𝜎𝑥 = 30,000 psi

𝑌� = 70,000 psi Expected mean of Y (True measurement) values

𝐶𝑂𝑉 𝑜𝑓 𝑌 = 30 % Expected COV of Y values
𝜎𝑌 = 21,000 psi

𝜆= 0.5 Expected slope of relationship between X and Y 99%

ρ= 0.83
𝑅 = 𝜌2 = 69 % Reliability of the X measurement
95%
𝑁= 40 95% Sig. N accounting for measurement error of X
𝑁∗ = 12 95% Sig. N without accounting for measurement error of X
𝑁= 74 99% Sig. N accounting for measurement error of X 90%
𝑁∗ = 23 99% Sig. N without accounting for measurement error of X

Enter values based on past experience

Calculations; do not change
Calculations; do not change

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 VICM project specific display

Outputs include :
Color-coded Video record
• Resilient Modulus
• XMV (vibration) modulus results
• CMV (vibration)
• CCV (vibration)
• RMV (vibration)
• Compaction Quality Index
• Compaction Productivity Index
• Temperature
• Target Value Maps
• Compaction Guidance System
• Video Playback
• Encrypted server data sharing
• Data viewable real-time via local
mesh network and remotely

Operator controls machine; Engineer Analysis results

controls measurement and setup.

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High-end visualization of results….

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Identified and delineate areas that do not meet minimum design values

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Rework

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 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
The primary problem is
Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering
not so much to determine
the average conditions, as it
is to make reasonably
certain that possibly the
most unfavorable
conditions are known over a
given area that may give
rise to soft spots.

Donald M. Burmister (1948).

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 VICM mapping reduces
risk!

2 tests = 95% risk

𝑝𝑝(1−𝑝𝑝)
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 = 𝑧𝑧 (1)
𝑛𝑛

𝑧𝑧 2
𝑛𝑛 = 𝑝𝑝(1 − 𝑝𝑝) (2)
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 2

𝑛𝑛
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴. 𝑛𝑛 = (3)
𝑛𝑛−1
1+ 𝑁𝑁
3,240 tests
= 0.1% risk

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Ingios VICM provided high degree of confidence
with R2 > 0.95

50
ORB-Walsh/Vinci Consstruction
XMV Calibration (11/3/14-11/5/14)
R2 =0.957
40

Actual In-situ Mr (ksi)

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50

Predicted In-situ Mr (ksi)

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 Ingios VICM can provide calibrated mechanistic
properties with high degree of confidence
Mechanical
RICM Value Soil Type Property Range of R2 values References
Elastic and Reload Brandl and Adam (1997),
0.2 to 0.9
Granular and Non Modulus White et al. 2011, 2013a,
CMV
Granular Soils CBR 0.2 to 0.6 Vennapusa et al. 2012,
Dry Density 0 to 0.4 Mooney et al. (2010)
Elastic and
0.2 to 0.9
Granular Non Reload Modulus White et al. (2009),
CCV
Granular Soils CBR 0.2 to 0.4 Mooney et al. (2010)
Dry Density 0 to 0.1
Elastic and Reload
0 to 0.8
Modulus Preisig et al. (2006),
kB Granular Soil
CBR 0.2 to 0.6 Mooney et al. (2010)
Dry Density 0 to 0.5
Elastic and Reload
0.3 to 0.9
Granular and Non Modulus White et al. (2010),
EVIB
Granular Soils CBR 0.1 to 0.5 Mooney et al. (2010)
Dry Density 0 to 0.5
Elastic Modulus 0.3 to 0.6
Granular and Non White et al. (2011)
MDP* CBR 0.1 to 0.5
Granular Soils White et al. (2015)
Dry Density 0.0 to 0.4
Unpublished field study in
CCP Stack Elastic Modulus 0.97
2014 at TVA Power Plant
XMV Granular and Non
Resilient Modulus 0.96 White et al. (2014)
Granular

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Geo-referenced maps of In situ Mr values were obtained
in four areas

Test Area #3 (Aggregate base

over lime stabilized subgrade)

Test Area #1 (subgrade)

Test Area #4
Test Area #1 (Aggregate base
(lime stabilized
Test Area #2 over lime stabilized subgrade)
subgrade)
(Aggregate base over
lime stabilized
subgrade)

• Aggregate base over lime stabilized subgrade

• Subgrade (unstabilized)
• Lime Stabilized Subgrade
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 MAP 8. Test Area #2 (Aggregate Base) – % of design composite modulus target value

4000
Target Percent

3500
3000
Frequency

2500
2000
1500
Integrated Compaction Monitoring
1000 TEST LOCATION Area 2 OPERATOR PV

500 TEST SURFACE Aggregate Base

0 PROJECT I-265 Construction DATE 11/03/2014

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 PROJECT NO. 2014-0001 LOCATION Louisville, IN
Percentage of Target Value (%) CLIENT Walsh Vinci Construction

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 Target Mr = 3.5 ksi

4000
3500
3000
Frequency

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46
In-situ Corrected Mr (ksi)

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 1.0

0.8
Cumulative Frequency

0.6

0.4
38% of measurements < 3.5 ksi

0.2

0.0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46
In-situ Corrected Mr (ksi)

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Key Outcomes:
1. Calibrated VICM using APLT completed in 48 hrs.
2. ~ 2 miles of subgrade, lime-stabilized subgrade, and
subbase were mapped and analysis provided real-time.
3. “Rework” areas were rapidly identified based on pavement
design requirements (including a factor of safety).
4. This is the first known project to evaluate pavement
foundation quality using 100% VICM mapping of
resilient modulus.
5. Innovation allowed project to rapidly determine were
pavement foundation design requirements were not
achieved, so that construction efforts were optimized.
Where this is headed…

1. Link AASHTOWare™ Pavement ME design with

field construction control to ensure pavement
engineers design intent is achieve in the
foundation layers.
2. Improve foundation quality be eliminating weak
areas and improving uniformity of support.
3. Prevent overdesign and optimize the foundation
layers and materials selection.
Value of High-Tech Grade Assessment for
Paving Contractor
I-265 Ohio Bridge River Crossing Project, Louisville, IN

Contact Info:
www.ingios.com
1-877-325-6278

Office Locations:
 Northfield, MN (David J. White, Ph.D., P.E.)
 Little Elm, TX (Pavana Vennapusa, Ph.D., P.E.)
 Ames, IA (E. Thomas Cackler, P.E.)
Thank you!
 Boston, MA (Brendan FitzPatrick, P.E.)

David J. White, Ph.D., P.E.

515-509-7587 (mobile)
david.white@ingios.com Acknowledgement:

William R. Vavrik, Ph.D., P.E.

Edward Kitzman, P.E. Principal Engineer & Vice President
Senior Project Manager Applied Research Associates, Inc.
Walsh Construction

53rd Annual Meeting American Concrete Paving Association Center for Earthworks
Austin, TX
Engineering Research
November 29 to December 1, 2016