# Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Deterioration Patterns of Limestone Paving
## 4 Materials and Methods
### Field Survey  
The contractor conducted regulatory tests of the stone's mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strength and module of elasticity) and the stone's bulk density prior to construction. These properties fully complied with the standard requirements [51]. However, the performance of the pedestrian promenade was defective and failed, as is shown earlier in Figure 2c,d.  
A preliminary inspection was conducted along the Capernaum promenade (as shown in Figure 2b). During this initial visit, damage and wear to the promenade's path were assessed since its handover. The identified damage included the following:  
* Cracks in the paving stones (as shown in Figure 2d).
* The peeling of stone layers in some paving stones (as shown in Figure 2c).
* Subsidence and cracking at the edges of paving between limestone and basalt stones (as shown in Figure 2e).  
Figure 2: Paving limestones from Jordan. (High-resolution pictures can be seen in Appendix A of this paper).  
The cracking of filler materials in joints separating the stone slabs (as shown in Figure 2f,g).  
A second visit took place one month after the first visit, during which samples of the paving stones were taken for testing.  
The promenade, situated along the western road encircling the Sea of Galilee and to its east, is located in a sloping area. Therefore, a retaining wall varying in height between 1.20 and 2.50 m was designed on its eastern side. In some topographic regions, a retaining wall was also required on the western side of the promenade. The promenade is paved with hard limestone slabs, 4 cm thick, 30 cm wide, and of varying lengths. The edges of the paved path are lined with two strips of basalt stone (as shown in Figure 2b). The retaining wall is based on a foundation compacted with 94% AASHTO Mode A [58], topped with a Type A bedding layer compacted with 98% AASHTO Mode A [58]. The paving stones are laid on a 30 cm thick Type A bedding layer, compacted with 98% AASHTO Mode A [58].  
The cross-section of the promenade includes a foundation compacted to 94% and an AASHTO Mode A [58], bedding layer compacted to 98%. The requirements for the AASHTO Mode A [58], bedding layer, according to the technical specifications, are as follows:  
* Sieve #200 (upper limit)--within the range of 5-15%.
* Sand equivalent test--at least 27%.
* Atterberg limits [59]--maximum liquid limit of 25%, and a maximum plasticity index of 6%.  
These specifications ensure the structural integrity and durability of the pavement, catering to the necessary engineering standards for such constructions.  
Material testing for the pavement construction was conducted during construction.  
The test findings indicated that in most cases, the material met the requirements; for example, the compressive and flexural strength of paving limestone was tested during construction, and the strength results met the standard requirements. However, some tests revealed material properties that did not comply with the Type A (AASHTO Mode A [58]) bedding material specifications. For example, some tests during construction indicated that the material in the first layer of the beginning sections was suitable as Type B bedding [58]. This discrepancy could contribute to the observed sinkages in various locations. Despite the tests showing the non-compliance of the foundation and bedding materials with the stone slab paving requirements, these discrepancies were not recorded in the project's work logs and were not resolved and addressed by the contractor on time.