ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Published Online: 21 January 2010
Page Count: 11

An Oedometer for Studying Combined Effects of Temperature and Suction on Soils

François, Bertrand
Laboratory of Soil Mechanics (LMS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne,

Laloui, Lyesse
Laboratory of Soil Mechanics (LMS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne,

(Received 29 January 2009; accepted 14 December 2009)

Abstract

This paper reports the development of an advanced thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) oedometer in order to characterize the behavior of soils under combined non-isothermal and unsaturated conditions. The simultaneous control of temperature, suction, and stress states within the sample required rigorous calibration. This THM oedometer accommodates samples 80 mm in diameter and 23 mm in height. The applied vertical stresses can reach values of up to 1 MPa, the controlled temperature ranges from 20 to 80°C, and the applied suction is up to 500 kPa. The paper thoroughly discusses the calibration of the device and presents some results of tests performed on sandy silt.

Keywords:
temperature, suction, oedometer, water retention, calibration, compression tests

Paper ID: GTJ102348
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ102348
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