The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer in Compaction Verification on a Model Road Pavement
Ampadu, SI
Senior Lecturer, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Civil Engineering Department, KNUST-Kumasi, Ghana

Arthur, TD
Senior Engineer, Associated Consultants Ltd., Accra-Ghana

(Received 6 November 2003; accepted 15 July 2005)

Abstract
Compaction verification studies were conducted on a model site during a road construction project. Three compaction plants of different capacities were used on model pavements constructed using loose lifts of lateritic gravel measuring 120, 170, and $220\text{-}\mathrm{mm}$ thick. After every two passes of the roller the dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) test was conducted on the compacted layer alongside the sand replacement test to determine the level of compaction. A correlation was made between the sand replacement and the DCP tests resulting in a calibration equation of the general form $\log \left(\mathrm{LC}\right)=\kappa -\lambda \log \left(\mathrm{DPI}\right)$ between the DCP penetration rate, DPI, and the level of compaction (LC) achieved as measured by the sand replacement method. $\kappa$ and $\lambda$ were found to be 2.184 and 0.337, respectively. The level of compaction values was back-calculated across the depth of the pavement using the DPIs. These values indicated that the sand replacement method gives the average degree of compaction over the depth tested whereas the DCP test allows the detection of low-level compaction pockets deeper within the layer.

Keywords:
compaction, dynamic cone penetrometer, sand replacement test, level of compaction, penetration rate

Paper ID: GTJ12306
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ12306

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