Modeling and laboratory assessment of capillary rise in stabilized pavement materials

Abstract

Capillary rise tests were carried out on marginal material (scoria) stabilized with two cementitious additives, general purpose cement, and general blended cement up to 5.5% by dry weight. The test results indicated that capillary rise occurred along the entire specimen height of 345 mm (100%) for both specimens. The rate of rise and the water absorption reduced as the binder content was increased, and a similar trend was found for specimens cured at 7 to 28 days. The saturated hydraulic conductivity and porosity were found to be approximately 10-8 m/s and 0.3, respectively. The theoretical basis for the capillary rise is explained by using the simple capillary tube model and water retention characteristics. A simplified model was developed to analyze the capillary rise tests. The model appeared to present the capillary characteristics reasonably well. On the basis of the theoretical approach presented, the test appears to be directly relevant to the field scenario when free water is available at the base of the pavement; however, other scenarios may be simulated approximately.