Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) research at National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACoE)
Insitu Test, Global Synthetics and Foundation Specialist Group (FSG) are all industry partners in the National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACoE) research program using the Light Weight Deflectometer (LWD) and Geogrid. The research is being led by QUT Senior Lecturer, Dr. Chaminda Gallage.
The research is centred around a fully instrumented 1m x 1m soil box test at QUT Pilot Plant Facility.
In February 2018, testing began at the facility.
The National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACOE) is an initiative of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB), which is broadening to include partnerships with industry. Australian Road Research Board Principal Pavement Engineer, Jeffrey Lee, commented: “ARRB is proud to be participating this research.”
The program has a bias towards using research and testing that adopts international best practice to Australian / Queensland conditions.
PAVEMENTS
The Pavements program represents the largest proportion of the NACOE program, with roughly half the total projects and half the total investment. This program comprises a number of sub-programs, including asphalt, unbound granular and marginal materials, stabilised / modified pavements, surfacing and a number of technology projects.
The Pavements program has the potential to deliver very significant cost savings compared to current practices, allowing for more road projects to be constructed. Interim savings are being realised now, based on finding to date, with more to be realised at the completion of further trials.
The Pavements program has a strong focus on collaborating with industry to ensure implementation.
I felt the training was very thorough. If anyone doesn’t know how to use a PANDA after that session, they shouldn’t be using one at all.
FH is now routinely using the LWD with very good feedback and useful engineering data. The equipment is an easy to use Zorn LWD.
Since hiring the LWD I have used it on numerous jobs in a wide variety of material types all over WA. The ability to give “real time” test results have worked particularly well for me as i can show my clients numerical values which gives them a direct understanding of some of the benefits using Betta Roads has brought to their road construction projects. The feedback I have been receiving over the last few months has lead me to purchase the LWD and incorporate its use as an integral part of our projects.
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