PURPOSES : The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a geogrid reinforced subbase of permeable flexible pavement structures with respect to permanent deformation. METHODS : Experimental trials employing a repeated triaxial load test scheme were conducted for both a geogrid reinforced subbase material and a control specimen to obtain the permanent deformation properties based on the VESYS model. Along with this, a finite elementbased numerical analysis was conducted to predict pavement performance with respect to the rutting model incorporated into the analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results of the experimental study reveal that the geogrid reinforcement seems to be effective in mitigating permanent deformation of the subbase material. The permanent deformation was mostly achieved in the early stages of loading and then rapidly reached equilibrium as the number of load applications increased. The ultimate permanent deformation due to the geogrid reinforcement was about 1.5 times less than that of the control specimen. Numerical analysis showed that the permeable, flexible pavement structure with the geogrid reinforced subbase also exhibits less development of rutting throughout the service life. This reduction in rutting led to a 20% decrease in thickness of the subbase layer, which might be beneficial to reduce construction costs unless the structural adequacy is not ensured. In the near future, further verification must be conducted, both experimentally and numerically, to support these findings.

In this study, the stress-strain response and the cracking behaviors of ITO film on a PET substrate are investigated. The cracking behaviors of ITO thin films deposited on a thermoplastic semi-crystalline polymer developed for flexible display applications was investigated by means of tensile experiments equipped with an electrical measurement apparatus and an in-situ optical microscope. Electrical resistance increased gradually in the elastic-to-plastic transition region of the stress strain curves and cracks formed. Numerous cracks were found in this region, and the increase of the resistance was linked to the cracking of ITO thin films. Upon loading, the initial cracks perpendicular to the tensile axis were observed at about 1% of the total strain. They propagated to the entire sample width as the strain increased. The spacing between the horizontal cracks is thought to be determined by the fracture strength and the thickness of the ITO film as well as by the interfacial strength between the ITO and PET. The effect of the strain rate on the cracking behavior was also investigated. The crack density increased as the strain increased. The spacing between the horizontal cracks (perpendicular to the stress axis) increased as the strain rate decreased. The increase of the crack density as the strain rate decreased can be attributed to the higher fraction of the plastic strain to the total strain at a given total strain. The higher critical strain for the onset of the increase in the resistance and the crack initiation of the ITO/PET with a thinner ITO film (300 ohms/sq.) suggests a higher strength of the thinner ITO film.