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Paper No. 00-0161
Effect of Moisture on Modulus Values of
Base and Subgrade Materials
Khaled Ksaibati, Jamshid Armaghani, and Jason Fisher
Moisture in the base and subgrade layers of pavement can significantly
decrease the modulus values of these layers. Recently, a study was per-
formed on several Florida state roads for the purpose of evaluating the
decrease in moduli of bases and subgrades due to the proximity of the
water table. Dynaflect and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests
were performed on pavement test sections throughout Florida for the
purpose of backcalculation of the modulus values of the different layers.
Testing was performed at different times of the year, and the water table
fluctuations were recorded throughout the study. The Dynaflect and
FWD deflections, water contents, depths to water table, layer thick-
nesses, pavement temperatures, and air temperatures were recorded on
all test sections over a 5-year period. EVERCALC was used for back-
calculation of modulus values on the basis of FWD tests. The Dynaflect
data were also used for calculation of layer properties on the basis of a
procedure developed by the Florida Department of Transportation.
Both Dynaflect and FWD showed that the water table had a significant
negative impact on the modulus values of the base and subgrade mate-
rials. Such results are extremely beneficial aids for establishing accept-
able embankment depths so that the effects of moisture on the modulus
values of pavements may be reduced.
Moisture has a significant impact on the modulus of pavement bases
and subgrades. A dramatic increase in the water contents of these
pavement layers will reduce their modulus values. Such reduction
will result in shortening the service lives of pavements and/or a sig-
nificant increase in maintenance costs. If design depths from the fin-
ished pavement grade to the water table are reduced, then water tables
may play an important part in the increase of moisture in these layers.
Past studies have shown that saturation in the base layer has
a significant impact on the elastic behaviors of pavements.
Thom and Brown came to this conclusion in a report entitled
“Effect of Moisture on the Structural Performance of a Crushed-
Limestone Road Base” (1). They performed a series of lab tests,
including triaxial load testing, and concluded that elastic stiffness
tends to decrease with increased moisture content for broadly
graded materials.
In similar tests performed by Raaf et al., moisture was concluded
to have significant impact on the compressibility of granular soils
(2). Testers found that loading of saturated soils causes excess pore
water pressures, which allows this increase in volume compress-
ibility. Open-graded aggregates were less likely to produce excess
pore water pressures than were dense-graded materials.
A study performed by Tian et al. came to conclusions that were
somewhat similar to those of the studies previously mentioned (3).
K. Ksaibati and J. Fisher, Civil Engineering Department, University of Wyoming,
P.O. Box 3295, University Station, Laramie, WY 82071. J. Armaghani, State
Materials Office, Florida Department of Transportation, 2006 N.E. Waldo Road,
Gainesville, FL 32603.
■ Transportation Research Record 1716
Also, open-graded aggregates were found to have better drainage
properties and higher resilient modulus (Mr) values. Therefore,
open-graded aggregates are less likely to cause pavement damage
under saturated conditions. If used, these open-graded aggregates
would lead to more durable pavement systems. Tian et al. also
found that an increase in moisture contents leads to a decrease in
Mr values (3).
In a report by Newcomb et al., the significance of water table lev-
els to pavement systems was also stressed (4). This report concluded
that researchers must locate the water table and modulus of the ma-
terial below it each time they perform deflection testing and analysis.
Because of its fluctuations from fall to spring, the water table in-
formation is important and must be recorded each time testing is
performed.
In Florida, water tables are consistently high. Dramatic in-
creases in water tables can also occur during the wet season.
Figure 1 shows how dramatic the increase in the water table can
be in Florida. The water level along State Road 441, south of
Gainesville, can be seen. During the 1998 El Niño, unusually
excessive rainfall caused the water table to rise so high that the
outside lanes of SR 441 were covered with water, which necessi-
tated closure of these lanes for an extended period of time. These
lanes were closed as a preventative measure in order that the devel-
opment of further cracks in the saturated pavement system could
be minimized.
There is a need for research to determine if embankment depths
should be increased in order to keep the water table away from the
structural layers of pavement systems. The main objective is cor-
relation between the depth to the water table and the pavement
modulus values. This correlation will provide better understand-
ing of the effects of moisture on the overall structural integrity of
pavements.
METHOD OF STUDY
For the purpose of determining whether modulus values of bases
and subgrades are affected by their proximity to the water table, this
study was performed on several state roads in Florida. The roadways
selected were all in-service primary travel routes that were con-
structed using approved Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT) materials. All sections had bases of crushed limerock, a soft
material mined from marine deposits that is less consolidated than
continental limestone, typical gradation minus 90 mm (3.5 in.) ring
down to dust, with 60 percent passing the 4.75 mm (No. 4) sieve
with high carbonates of calcium and magnesium, minimum 70 per-
cent. Subgrades and embankments consisted of approved AASHTO
materials. The data analyzed here were collected on five Florida
state roads over a 5-year period. All test sections that were included
Ksaibati et al.
FIGURE 1 Florida State Road 441: excessive rain has caused
water levels to rise, necessitating closure of driving lanes to
prevent further cracking (May 1998).
had low spots that were very close to the water table level. Figure 2
summarizes the data collection strategies.
Dynaflect and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests were per-
formed on the test sections for the purpose of backcalculation of the
modulus values of the different pavement layers. Along with the
Dynaflect and FWD deflections on all test sections, water contents,
water table depths, layer thicknesses, pavement temperatures, and air
temperatures were recorded in order that correlations between the
layer modulus values and water table fluctuations could be established.
FIGURE 2 Data collection strategies.
Paper No. 00-0161 21
Dynaflect Testing
The Dynaflect consists of a relatively lightweight, 907-kg (2,000-lb),
two-wheel trailer. The pavement is loaded through two counter-
rotating eccentric steel weights that deliver a ± 227-kg (500-lb)
dynamic force. Pavement deflections are measured through five
geophones placed at 0.3-m (1-ft) intervals (5). In this study, back-
calculations were performed according to a method developed by
FDOT. A report by Godwin and Miley confirmed the accuracy of
FDOT’s historical method for determining pavement modulus val-
ues based on Dynaflect measurements (6 ). The method correlated
the deflections from the Dynaflect to plate bearing tests (FDOT’s
specifications for the bearing tests are given in FM-5-527). This
method was initially developed in the early 1980s, with nine tests.
In this most recent study, 21 more tests were performed and the
method was confirmed to still be valid. Equations 1 and 2 are used
by FDOT to obtain modulus values of base and subgrade materials,
respectively.
log( Ebase ) = 4.4585 + {−0.4807[ LOG (D2)]} and (1)
log( Esubgrade ) = 4.2362 + {−0.4612[ LOG (D3)]}, (2)
where
Ebase = base modulus value,
Esubgrade = subgrade modulus value,
D2 = Number 2 sensor deflection, and
D3 = Number 3 sensor deflection.
22 Paper No. 00-0161
FWD Testing
The FWD testing was performed with a Dynatest FWD Model 8000.
The trailer, weighing 1134 kg (2,500 lb), is mounted with a falling
weight system that loads the pavement system, simulating actual
wheel loads in both weight and duration. The tests performed on the
Florida state roads simulated a 4082-kg (9,000-lb) truck axle (7 ).
Seven sensors were used, spaced at 0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.2, and
1.6 m (0.0, 7.9, 11.8, 19.7, 31.5, 47.2, and 63.0 in.) to record pavement
deflections. These deflection data were then used in the backcalcu-
lation program EVERCALC. EVERCALC took into account the
number of layers in the system, layer thicknesses, sensor spacings,
and temperature adjustment.
Moisture Determination
Moisture content determinations for bases and subgrades, as well as
depths to the water table, were necessary components of this study.
Moisture contents and density of the various pavement layers were
measured with a Troxler nuclear depth gauge, through access tubes
installed between wheelpaths of the driving lanes. In order that the
changes in water table levels during the study could be determined,
51-cm (2-in.) water pipes with well points were drilled 3 m (10 ft)
deep at each project site. Each time Dynaflect or FWD tests were per-
formed, one of the necessary recordings was the water table level. All
measurements were obtained from the pavement surface to the water
table. This allowed the correlation between the changing water
tables, moisture contents, and layer modulus values to be established.
Pavement Characteristics
In order that layer modulus values could be backcalculated, during
each test at each project location, determination of pavement layer
thicknesses, pavement types, and air and pavement temperatures
was necessary. All test sections included in this experiment were
flexible pavements. Table 1 shows a summary of the asphalt and base
thicknesses at each project site.
Data Reduction
The data from 5 years of field testing had to be reduced, summarized
in a computerized database, and prepared for analysis. This database
included all field-measured data, pavement layer thicknesses, and
backcalculated modulus values from Dynaflect and FWD.
TABLE 1 Layer Thicknesses of Pavement Test Sections
Transportation Research Record 1716
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
The data analysis performed in this study concentrated on the
following:
1. Determination of the effect of high water table on the increase
in moisture contents of bases and subgrades,
2. Correlation of backcalculated Dynaflect modulus values to
moisture contents of pavement layers,
3. Correlation of backcalculated FWD modulus values to moisture
contents of pavement layers,
4. Determination of the effect of an incremental moisture content
increase on modulus values, and
5. Comparison of the results from FWD and Dynaflect.
The following sections summarize the findings from the analysis.
Effects of Water Table on Moisture Content
Tables 2 and 3 summarize the depths to water table levels and
ranges of moisture contents for both bases and subgrades. Table 3
shows that moisture contents were as high as 20 percent in some
cases. In order that the effects of water table level on moisture con-
tents could be examined, these two factors were plotted against each
other. As shown in Figure 3, higher water tables result in high base
moisture contents. Figure 4 shows a similar relationship for the sub-
grade. Additional plots were performed for all other test sections.
The percentage increase in moisture contents due to a 30-cm (1-ft)
increase in water table was determined. Table 4 summarizes these
percentages for bases and subgrades. The differences among these
percentages are due to variations in moisture contents and material
characteristics. For example, the low values for State Road 207
are due to the narrow moisture range shown in Table 3. Since water
tables and moisture contents were found to be highly correlated,
the rest of the analysis was performed on the basis of moisture
contents only.
Dynaflect Results
In order to determine whether the increase in moisture content had
any effects on the layer modulus values, graphs were prepared to
compare the backcalculated Dynaflect moduli and the layer mois-
ture contents. Figure 5 shows the relationship between the Dynaflect
moduli and the base moisture content for State Road 24. Figure 6
shows the relationship of Dynaflect moduli to subgrade moisture
 TABLE 2 Range of Depth to Water Table for Test Sections Included in Experiment

TABLE 3 Range of Base and Subgrade Moisture Contents (Percent)

for Test Sections Included in Experiment

FIGURE 3 Effect of water level on base moisture, State Road 62.

24 Paper No. 00-0161
FIGURE 4 Effect of water level on subgrade moisture, State Road 62.
contents for State Road 200. Both Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the sig-
nificant decrease in base and subgrade modulus values, respectively,
due to the increase in layer moisture contents. Table 5 shows the
results for base and subgrade layers on all of the five project sites
analyzed in this study. According to the Dynaflect results, State
Road 24 had the largest decrease in base modulus, 35 percent reduc-
tion in modulus due to a 4.1 percent increase in moisture content.
This project also had the largest decrease in subgrade modulus, a
31.5 percent decrease in subgrade modulus due to a 6.9 percent
increase in moisture content.
FWD Results
When the FWD results were analyzed, the decrease in modulus val-
ues due to moisture was even more evident. FWD testing resulted in
higher modulus variations because it uses heavier loads that more
closely simulate axle loads and duration than the Dynaflect. Figure 7
TABLE 4 Percentage Increase in Layer Moisture Content for Every 0.3 m (1-ft)
Increase in Water Table
Transportation Research Record 1716
shows the decrease in base moduli due to the increase in moisture
content for State Road 26. This section experienced a 96.3 percent
decrease in base modulus due to an 8.5 percent increase in moisture
content. Figure 8 shows the relationship between the FWD moduli
and the subgrade moisture content for State Road 200. There was a
36.9 percent decrease in subgrade modulus due to the 11 percent
increase in moisture content at this site. Table 5 summarizes all of
the FWD results for the five test sections. It is clear from Table 5
that the base modulus values decreased significantly due to the
increase in moisture content. This conclusion is consistent with the
characteristics of limerock base materials used in all test sections.
Effect of Incremental Increase of Moisture on
Layer Moduli
Table 6 summarizes the decrease in base and subgrade modulus val-
ues for both the Dynaflect and FWD due to a 1 percent increase in
FIGURE 5 Effect of moisture on Dynaflect base modulus values, State Road 24.

FIGURE 6 Effect of moisture on Dynaflect subgrade modulus values, State Road 200.
26 Paper No. 00-0161 Transportation Research Record 1716

TABLE 5 Percentage of Reduction in Moduli Values Due to Moisture Contents

moisture content. For the base layer, the most significant decrease
in modulus values was 8.54 percent and 29.41 percent on the basis
of Dynaflect and FWD, respectively. For subgrade modulus values,
the most significant decrease for Dynaflect and FWD tests was
4.56 percent and 7.77 percent, respectively. Important to note are
the large variations in the decrease in modulus values for both test
procedures at each project section. These variations result from the
fact that Dynaflect and FWD apply significantly different loads to
measure deflections.
In order that the difference between the Dynaflect and FWD could
be confirmed, a t-test was performed on the data in Table 6. The
t-test assumes that each of the test samples is the same, which is
valid in this case. It then statistically analyzes the data sets to deter-
mine if the two data sets are equal by looking at the shapes of the
distribution curves of the data sets. If the distribution curves do not
match, the data sets are considered to be significantly different.
When the t-test was performed on the data, it showed that a signifi-
cant difference existed in the Dynaflect and FWD tests. Results from
the t-test are shown in Table 7. These significant differences result
from the difference in loading of pavements.
Correlation of Dynaflect and FWD Moduli
Standard simple regression analysis was performed so that whether
the Dynaflect and FWD showed similar trends could be determined.
Figure 9 shows a correlation of the FWD and Dynaflect tests for the
base layer at State Road 200. Correlations for all other test sections

FIGURE 7 Effect of moisture on FWD base modulus values, State Road 26.
FIGURE 8 Effect of moisture on FWD subgrade modulus values, State Road 200.

TABLE 6 Percentage Decrease in Modulus Values Due to 1 Percent Increase

in Moisture Content

TABLE 7 Conclusions of t-Tests Comparing Dynaflect and FWD Results

28 Paper No. 00-0161
FIGURE 9 Base modulus values from Dynaflect versus FWD, State Road 200.
are shown in Table 8. Table 8 shows the difficulty of correlating the
base Dynaflect and FWD values due to high amounts of scatter. Fig-
ure 10 shows the correlation on State Road 207 for the subgrade
layer. Table 9 shows the correlations for all five test sections. These
subgrade correlations had significantly higher R2 values than the ones
obtained for base. This is because the light loads applied with the
Dynaflect diminish rapidly with pavement depth, resulting in better
R2 values for deeper pavement layers, subgrade, embankment, and
so forth. The correlations between the two devices are not always
good, because the Dynaflect test does not simulate a wheel axle load
as well as the FWD test does, thus causing scatter in the data points.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMENDATIONS
The main objective was to determine the effect of high water table
levels on pavement sturdiness. This was accomplished in evaluation
TABLE 8 Regression Analysis for Dynaflect and FWD Base Modulus Values
Transportation Research Record 1716
of five test sections in the state of Florida. First, water table levels
were correlated to the moisture contents in the base and subgrade
layers. Then, increases in moisture contents of these layers were
analyzed in order that their effects on Dynaflect and FWD modulus
values could be determined. The following conclusions can be
drawn based on the analysis performed:
1. As the depth from the pavement surface to water table level
decreases, significant increases occur in the moisture contents of
base and subgrade layers.
2. According to Dynaflect testing, base and subgrade modulus
values experienced 5 to 35 percent reductions because of increases
in moisture contents of these layers.
3. FWD testing resulted in magnification of the effect of mois-
ture on backcalculated modulus values of bases and subgrades. The
modulus values of limerock bases, which are susceptible to water
damage, experienced up to 96 percent reduction due to moisture
increases.
Ksaibati et al.
FIGURE 10 Subgrade modulus values from Dynaflect versus FWD, State Road 207.
TABLE 9 Regression Analysis for Dynaflect and FWD Subgrade Modulus Values
4. Incremental (1 percent) increases in moisture content reduced
FWD layer moduli up to 29.41 percent. The reduction was not as
dramatic for the lighter Dynaflect testing, which was not greater than
8.54 percent. The t-test concluded that Dynaflect and FWD produced
statistically different modulus reductions.
Due to the differences in loading and testing methods, modulus val-
ues obtained from Dynaflect and FWD did not correlate well on all
test sections.
REFERENCES
1. Thom, N. H., and S. F. Brown. Effect of Moisture on the Structural
Performance of a Crushed-Limestone Road Base. In Transportation
Research Record 1121, TRB, National Research Council, Washington
D.C., 1987, pp. 50–56.
2. Raad, L., G. H. Minassian, and S. Gartin. Characterization of Saturated
Granular Bases Under Repeated Loads. In Transportation Research
Paper No. 00-0161 29
Record 1369, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1992,
pp. 73–82.
3. Tian, P., M. M. Zaman, and J. G. Laguros. Gradation and Moisture
Effects on Resilient Moduli Aggregate Bases. In Transportation Research
Record 1619, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1998,
pp. 75–84.
4. Newcomb, D. E., D. A. Van Duesen, Y. Jiang, and J. P. Mahoney. Con-
siderations of Saturated Soil Conditions in Backcalculation of Pavement
Layer Moduli. In Transportation Research Record 1473, TRB, National
Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1995, pp. 63–71.
5. Florida Department of Transportation. Use of the Falling Weight Deflec-
tometer for Determining Resilient Modulus Values. Pavement Systems
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6. Godwin, H. F., and W. G. Miley. Determination of Soil Support Values
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Evaluation, Study 97–1. FDOT, State Materials Office, Gainesville, 1997.
Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Strength and Deformation
Characteristics of Pavement Sections.