ISSN: 1945-7545
Published Online: 31 August 2005
Page Count: 11

Combined TDR and P-Wave Velocity Measurements for the Determination of In Situ Soil Density—Experimental Study

Fratta, D
Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,WI

Alshibli, KA
Joint Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University and Southern University, Baton Rouge,LA

Tanner, WM
Project Engineer, Nova Geotechnical and Environmental, Kennesaw,GA

Roussel, L
Research Graduate Assistant, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge,LA

(Received 17 January 2005; accepted 28 March 2005)

Abstract

This paper summarizes a new nondestructive approach for the evaluation of soil density and water content. This new measurement methodology involves evaluating the dielectric permittivity and the P-wave velocity in soils as the water content is increased. These values are then related to the volumetric water content, porosity, and skeleton shear stiffness, which are needed to back-calculate the density and water content of the tested soil specimens. Experimental laboratory results are briefly summarized. These test results show a potential for developing a new device. Electronic equipment and sensors for the proposed device include a TDR system, miniature piezoelectric accelerometers, signal conditioner system, and oscilloscope for data acquisition.

Keywords:
Time Domain Reflectometry, P-wave velocity, soil density, water content, experimental testing

Paper ID: GTJ12293
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ12293
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