Development of Resilient Modulus Estimation Models for Florida Pavements

The resilient modulus of pavement subgrade is an essential engineering parameter for the mechanistic-empirical pavement design. Resilient modulus of subgrade is significantly influenced by the physical properties of subgrade materials. In view of the complexity and difficulty in conducting the resilient modulus measurement, establishing resilient modulus correlation models based on the physical properties of subgrade soil has increasingly become necessary. This paper presents an extensive study to develop resilient modulus correlation models using statistical analysis for two types of commonly available granular subgrade materials in Florida: fine sand (A-3 soil) and silty/clayey sand (A-2-4 soil). The estimated resilient modulus values from the correlation models were generally within a range of +/- 20 percent of the measured resilient modulus values from laboratory triaxial test. The performance of the correlation models was considered acceptable. The proposed resilient modulus correlation models could be applied to granular subgrades for facilitating implementation of the mechanistic-empirical pavement design procedure.