LABORATORY TEST PROCEDURE FOR SOIL-CEMENT PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION

THE AMERICAN TEST PROCEDURE HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED IN GREAT BRITAIN DUE TO THE HEAVY EXPENSE INVOLVED AND RELATIVELY SMALL AREAS CONSTRUCTED. THE MEASUREMENT OF THE 7-DAY COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH HAS BEEN ADOPTED AS THE CRITERION FOR STABILITY OF A SOIL-CEMENT MIX. GENERALLY, AS CEMENT CONTENT OF A MIX IS INCREASED BOTH THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND DURABILITY OF MIX INCREASE, THEREFORE, THERE IS SOME RELATION BETWEEN THE AMERICAN DURABILITY TESTS AND BRITISH COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TESTS. IN 1948, WEBB OF THE ROAD RES. LABORATORY SUGGESTED THAT A 7-DAY COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF 250 LB PER SQ IN. WOULD BE SATISFACTORY FOR MOST WORK WHERE THE SOIL-CEMENT WAS PROTECTED BY ONLY A THIN SURFACING. HOWEVER, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT A 7-DAY FIELD STRENGTH OF 200 LB PER SQ IN. WOULD BE SATISFACTORY FOR CONSTRUCTIONS UNDERTAKEN IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER. THE FIELD STRENGTH CHOSEN WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE TYPE OF JOB.