ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Page Count: 10

Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar Testing of Unsaturated Sand

Charlie, WA
Professor, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Ross, CA
Visiting professor, HQ, Air Force Engineering and Services Center, RDCM, Tyndall AFB, FL

Pierce, SJ
Staff geotechnical engineer, ESA Consultants, Fort Collins, CO

Abstract

High amplitude, split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) laboratory tests were conducted on compacted specimens of 50/80 silica sand to evaluate the influence of saturation on compressional-stress wave velocity, stress transmission, and attenuation. Stress wave velocity and transmitted stress increase as the saturation increases from 0 to 30 to 40% for constant input stress and constant dry density. At saturation levels between 40 to 95%, both the wave speed and the transmitted stress decrease with increasing saturation. Quasistatic confined modulus show similar trends. These trends may be explained by capillary pressure.

Keywords:
shock tests, sand, impact tests, Hopkinson bar, saturation, compressional wave velocity, stress transmission, blast loading, capillarity

Paper ID: GTJ10172J
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ10172J
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