ISSN: 0149-6115
Published Online: 4 September 2007
Page Count: 11

A New Slurry-Based Method of Preparation of Specimens of Sand Containing Fines

Carraro, J. Antonio H.
Assistant Professor,Colorado State University,CO,

Prezzi, Monica
Assistant Professor,Purdue University,IN,

(Received 9 June 2005; accepted 9 July 2007)

Abstract

A new method of specimen reconstitution is presented that is appropriate for element testing of sands containing either plastic or nonplastic fines. The method allows reconstitution of homogeneous, saturated specimens of sands containing fines whose stress-strain response closely resembles the stress-strain response of natural soil deposits formed underwater (e.g., alluvial and offshore submarine deposits, hydraulic fills, and tailings dams). A procedure is described to evaluate the maximum void ratio (e^max) of sands containing fines under conditions that more appropriately represent soil deposition at its loosest state in aquatic environments. For soils deposited in water, the data obtained with the procedure proposed in this paper suggest that ASTM D 4254 overestimates the e^max of sands containing plastic fines and underestimates the e^max of sands containing nonplastic fines.

Keywords:
silty sand, clayey sand, fines, maximum and minimum void ratios, specimen reconstitution method, slurry deposition

Paper ID: GTJ100207
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ100207
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