LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS ON LEAN STONE ASPHALT LAYERS APPLIED IN COASTAL PROTECTION

The visco-elastic properties of asphaltic layers make it appropriate for application in coastal protection in embankments. In this research, an experimental set up of a coastal embankment is developed to investigate the characteristics of lean stone asphalt layer on coastal embankments. More than 100 laboratory tests were carried out considering various loading conditions on the asphalt protective layer. The main variables in the tests are the incident wave height and period, front slope angle of embankment, still water depth, and the wave cycles incoming to the structure. The main measurements and observations in the experiments are the mechanical strength and damage pattern in the asphaltic protection, erosion pattern on the movable bed adjacent to the asphaltic heel, and wave-structure interaction such as wave run-up and overtopping.