Properties and performance of lateritic soil in road pavements

In many tropical countries the temperate zone specification has been adopted for the selection of highway materials. However, in some tropical countries, many lateritic gravels have been successfully used in road pavements despite the fact that they do not comply with the temperate zone specification requirements for particle size distribution, plasticity characteristics, and sometimes CBR. A specification for the use of tropical soils in road pavements needs to be developed, based on the genesis of the soils and the climatic environment. boratory characteristics and performance as a paving material, of a lateritic soil developed on sandstone in south-east Queensland, Australia, has been investigated. Based on the important features of the lateritic soil and its good performance as a road pavement, a criterion suitable for the selection of lateritic soil developed on sandstone as a paving material, under similar climatic conditions to those prevailing in south-east Queensland, has been proposed.