ISSN: 1945-7545
Page Count: 13

Consolidation Apparatus for Testing Unsaturated Soils

Rahardjo, H
Senior lecturer, School of Civil and Structural Engineering, Nanyang Technological University,

Fredlund, DG
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon,Saskatchewan

Abstract

An apparatus for performing consolidation tests under K₀ conditions was designed and constructed for testing unsaturated soils. Three types of consolidation tests are of interest in unsaturated soils. These are: (1) constant water content loading tests, (2) consolidation under a net total stress, and (3) consolidation under a matric suction. The apparatus had been used for simultaneous and separate measurements of pore-air and pore-water pressures for all three types of consolidation tests. The experimental results demonstrate the pore pressure and volume change behavior of an unsaturated soil during these tests.

Keywords:
consolidation, K0 loading, matric suction, unsaturated soils, pore-water pressure, pore-air pressure, volume change

Paper ID: GTJ10712J
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ10712J
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.