Abstract:
In order to minimise the cost of constructing low volume roads (LVRs), optimum use must
be made of locally available, naturally occurring materials. However, conflicts often arise
between material acceptability, as defined by conventional test methods and
specifications, and material suitability in terms of actual engineering performance as a
“fitness-for-purpose” road construction material. It is crucial to adopt appropriate test
methods and specifications for selecting acceptable construction materials to avoid such
conflicts.
This paper presents a laboratory procedure using the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP)
to assess materials' suitability for use in LVRs. This approach enables materials to be
selected based on their “fitness-for-purpose”. It prevents suitable materials from being
rejected based on one or other traditionally specified parameters not being complied with,
even though their strength, as measured by the DCP penetration rate (DN value in
mm/blow) of the soil, may be adequate. Investigations of the properties of a wide range of
locally available materials that have been used successfully in the construction of LVRs
have confirmed the validity of the materials evaluation framework.
