• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2012

This study introduces a methodology to evaluate different types of non-nuclear technologies to see how they are competitive to the nuclear technology for quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) in soil condition measurement for highway pavement construction. The non-nuclear methods including the Electrical Density Gauge (EDG) and the Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) were tested for their performance against a nuclear gauge, and traditional methods were used as baselines. An innovative way of comparing a deflection gauge to a density gauge was introduced. Results showed that the nuclear gauge generally outperformed the non-nuclear gauge in accuracies of soil density and moisture content measurements. Finally, a framework was developed as a guideline for evaluating various types of non-nuclear soil gauges. From other perspectives rather than accuracy, it was concluded that the non-nuclear gauges would be better alternative to the nuclear gauge when the followings are considered: (1) greater life-cycle cost savings; (2) elimination of intense federal regulations and safety/security concerns; and (3) elimination of licensing and intense training.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.103-116
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• 1994

The objective of this study was to determine the criteria for density and moisture content measurements made with a nuclear density meter on common materials in the construction field. The study also sought to test a full-type nuclear density meter in controlling the density of overlay layers( 2.5~5.0cm). In order to determine the accuracy and reliablility of nuclear guage measurements made on construction materials, laboratory and field tests were conducted. Wooden blocks( 65 x 45 ${\times}$ 50 cm) and a special steel compactor( 4.7kg) were constructed in order to carry out tests which were conducted on three different materials; coarse gramed soil, fine grained soil, and AC material. Throughout all laboratory and field tests, the nuclear density and moisture content were determined using Humboldt 5OOLP nuclear gauge. The tests on subgrade material entailed obtaining density measurements by means of both the sand replacement method and the nuclear density meter. The results of the sand replacement method were then compared to the readings recorded bu the meter. As in the subgrade material tests, density measurements made during AC pavement tests were also determined using the unclear meter in addition to a second means; through the core method. The meter readings and core densties were compared as was done in the tests on subgrade materials. The correlation between the results of the sand replacement test( also, the core method) and meter readings on subgrade material was then determined. Sirnilarly, the observed results were then analyzed through linear regression. The tests to determine thin-lift density by means of a full-type nuclear density meter also conducted on the overlay layers( about 4. 8cm thickness) above AC pavements at road construction sities in Korea.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2015

PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to compare the densities of asphalt pavements measured both in the field and in the laboratory, and also to evaluate the applicability of field density measuring equipment, such as the pavement quality indicator (PQI), by using statistical analysis. METHODS : For the statistical analysis of the density measured from asphalt pavement, student t-tests and a coefficient of correlation are investigated. In order to compare the measured densities, two test sections are prepared, with a base layer and an intermediate layer constructed. Each test section consists of 9 smaller sections. During construction, the field densities are measured for both layers (base and intermediate) in each section. Core samples are extracted from similar regions in each section, and moved to the laboratory for density measurements. All the measured densities from both the field and laboratory observations are analyzed using the selected statistical analysis methods. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION : Based on an analysis of measured densities, analysis using a correlation coefficient is found to be more accurate than analysis using a student t-test. The correlation coefficient (R) between the field density and the core density is found to be very low with a confidence interval less than 0.5. This may be the result of inappropriate calibration of the measuring equipment. Additionally, the correlation coefficient for the base layer is higher than for the intermediate layer. Finally, we observe that prior to using the density measuring equipment in the field, a calibration process should be performed to ensure the reliability of measured field densities.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.9-15
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• 2023

Compaction is performed in civil engineering sites to secure the stability of the ground and prevent settlement. While the process of compaction is crucial, it is also essential to evaluate the degree of compaction after the completion of the process. In domestic sites, the evaluation of compaction is mainly conducted on a small number of spot using point-based tests such as plate load tests and sand cone tests. The methods presented so far allow assessment of surface compaction, but evaluating compaction in deeper layers poses challenges. Moreover, due to the limited coverage of point-based testing, it is difficult to achieve an overall assessment of compaction. As a solution to these issues, the Spectral-Analysis-of-Surface-Waves (SASW) tests were utilized to evaluate compaction. SASW tests offer a broader measurement range compared to point-based tests, and depending on the test setup, this method can provide the stiffness of the ground at greater depths. In this study, SASW tests were conducted in a compacted soil site under different conditions to assess compaction. Additionally, Nuclear Density Gauge tests were conducted concurrently to compare and verify the results of SASW. The research results confirmed the feasibility of evaluating compaction using SASW at the geotechnical site.