ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Page Count: 8

The Use of Property Tests to Determine the Thermal Properties of Soils

Salomone, LA
Research geotechnical engineers, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.,

Kovacs, WD
Research geotechnical engineers, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.,

Abstract

Use of soil as an insulating material and to store and dissipate heat requires that low-cost simple tests be identified to predict the thermal behavior of soils. The optimum moisture content and plastic limit of fine-grained soils were found to correlate with the critical moisture content, that is, the moisture content that defines the knee of the thermal resistivity versus moisture content curve. The laboratory test procedures and equipment that allow these correlations to be made are described.

Keywords:
Atterberg limits, soil moisture, laboratory tests, soil tests, compacted samples, energy conservation, nuclear waste disposal, thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity, measurements, transmission lines

Paper ID: GTJ10921J
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ10921J
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