ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Published Online: 1 March 2012
Page Count: 6

A Modified Triaxial Apparatus for Measuring the Stress Path-Dependent Water Retention Curve

Ng, Charles W. W.
“Cheung Kong Scholar” Chair Professor, Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering of Ministry of Education, Hohai Univ., Nanjing,
Chair Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Hong Kong Univ. of Science and Technology, Kowloon,

Lai, C. H.
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Hong Kong Univ. of Science and Technology, Kowloon,

Chiu, C. F.
Associate Professor, Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering of Ministry of Education, Hohai Univ., Nanjing,

(Received 12 July 2011; accepted 19 October 2011)

Abstract

This article reports a modified triaxial apparatus for measuring the stress path-dependent water retention curve (SDWRC) of unsaturated soils under isotropic and deviatoric stress conditions. In this modified triaxial apparatus, an open-ended, bottle-shaped inner cell is installed together with a differential pressure transducer to measure the total volume change of a specimen accurately for the correct determination of the degree of saturation of an SDWRC. Details of the calibration and test procedures are described and discussed. Some test results from compacted samples of a completely decomposed tuff, i.e., silt of low plasticity, are also presented in order to demonstrate the key features of the modified apparatus.

Keywords:
unsaturated soil, water retention curve, laboratory test

Paper ID: GTJ104203
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ104203
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