Pavement

This method has been prepared as a complementary or alternative test to the repeated load triaxial (RLT) test for assessing the permanent deformation performance of granular material Wheel-tracking (as compared to RLT) better represents in-service loading conditions by modelling the effect of a rolling wheel on a specimen of material in the laboratory.

Granular material characterisation tests require specimens of uniform composition that are representative of the material placed in the field. Criteria include uniformity of density and particle distribution, particle orientation consistent with in situ materials, and absence of unrepresentative change in particle size distribution due to the compaction process. These criteria are all achieved in the wheel-tracking test by manufacturing a slab of the specimen in the test-specific mould.

This test method has been developed for the Austrack Wheel-tracker and Slab Compacter manufactured by IPC Global. The wheel-tracker was jointly developed by IPC Global and ARRB for Austroads. This method can be adapted to other suitable and approved devices. All alternative apparatus should be assessed to ensure compatibility of results.