Laboratory Testing of River Gravel Used in Arrester Beds

The objective of this study was to investigate the engineering properties of a river gravel. The engineering properties studied included shear strength, volume change, failure strain, and modulus of elasticity. The triaxial compressive strength of the river gravel was used in a developed model to obtain the stopping distance of a runaway truck in an arrester bed. Static and dynamic triaxial compression tests were performed using a specially constructed triaxial cell on specimens 22.9 cm (9 in.) in diameter and 48.3 cm (19 in.) in height. Specially designed damping equipment was employed to perform the dynamic testing. The test specimens were subjected to different confining pressures. The results of the study not only provide data on strength, relative volume change, failure strain, and modulus of elasticity but also on the relationship between these properties and influencing factors such as relative density, confining pressure, and loading rate. The material parameters of the river gravel were applied successfully in a mathematical model developed to predict the stopping distance of a runaway truck in an arrester bed.