BEHAVIOR AND DESIGN OF VERTICAL MOISTURE BARRIERS.
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Seasonal wetting and drying affect pavements on expansive soils with two main damage types: roughness development and longitudinal cracking. The purpose of the moisture barrier is to isolate the subsoil from these climatic changes. The predominate type of damage and the function of the barrier are dominant type of damage and the function of the barrier are found to depend on the initial moisture conditions of the subsoil. For desiccated soils, the barrier must prevent the infiltration of rainfall into the shrinkage cracks to stop the development of roughness. For wet soils, the barrier must prevent excessive drying under the edge of the pavement. The barrier depth is chosen base on the maximum crack depth and the shrinkage of the pavement edge that would occur under the most severe drought intensity expected during the lifetime of the pavement. The drought intensity is chosen based on a statistical analysis of meteorological data for the site.
