Using Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) to Evaluate the Quality of Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) Without Stabilization (NS): A Case Study

Full-depth reclamation with no stabilization (FDR-NS) is widely used as a pavement rehabilitation technique. It is important to evaluate the on-site characteristics of FDR-NS materials to avoid short-term underperformance. The need for performance-based testing could then be supported by in situ and nondestructive testing, such as dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP). DCP test is used to evaluate the resistance to penetration of the pavement structure according to the testing depth. Thus, it allows to estimate the bearing capacity of the pavement structure and to verify its homogeneity according to the depth. The objective of this research is to evaluate the applicability of using DCP to assess the quality of FDR-NS. Overall, DCP results showed a good reliability, allows to measure the effective depth of reclamation and to observe a significant reduction (average of 75%), in terms of DCP values, between before and after the reclamation process, showing how essential it is to stabilize the materials. Thus, the potential of using DCP for FDR-NS rehabilitation was confirmed. The results from this research provide a rational basis for establishing specifications.