Effect of gravel content on soil suction

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Author(s)
Liu, Yaxu
Gratchev, Ivan
Saeidi, Somayeh
Pitawala, Sameera
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2017
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: This paper seeks to a) investigate the effect of gravel on soil suction and b) establish whether
results of standard suction tests using filter paper can accurately represent the value of suction that would be
expected in the field. Eight natural soils with different soil gradation and plasticity were used to prepare two
types of specimens: a) the “original” specimens (no change compared to the field soil), and b) “sieved”
specimens – when the “original” soil was passed through a 2-mm sieve to meet the standard requirement.
Comparisons of soil-water characteristics curves (SWCC) obtained for both types of specimens were ...
View more >: This paper seeks to a) investigate the effect of gravel on soil suction and b) establish whether results of standard suction tests using filter paper can accurately represent the value of suction that would be expected in the field. Eight natural soils with different soil gradation and plasticity were used to prepare two types of specimens: a) the “original” specimens (no change compared to the field soil), and b) “sieved” specimens – when the “original” soil was passed through a 2-mm sieve to meet the standard requirement. Comparisons of soil-water characteristics curves (SWCC) obtained for both types of specimens were made to better understand the effect of gravel content on total and matric suction. The obtained data indicated that the results of standard tests can significantly overestimate the soil suction. In particularly, it was found that as the gravel content increased from 4.8 to 19.6%, the difference in suction between the “original” and “sieved” specimens increased to 14% (total suction) and almost 20% (matric suction). The experimental data showed that the effect of gravel was more pronounced for low plasticity soils, compared to high and very high plasticity soils, in which the influence of gravel on suction was found to be insignificant. Although the “sieved” specimens tended to produce higher values of suction, this tendency might reverse for high and very high plasticity soils when their liquidity index (LI) became positive.
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View more >: This paper seeks to a) investigate the effect of gravel on soil suction and b) establish whether results of standard suction tests using filter paper can accurately represent the value of suction that would be expected in the field. Eight natural soils with different soil gradation and plasticity were used to prepare two types of specimens: a) the “original” specimens (no change compared to the field soil), and b) “sieved” specimens – when the “original” soil was passed through a 2-mm sieve to meet the standard requirement. Comparisons of soil-water characteristics curves (SWCC) obtained for both types of specimens were made to better understand the effect of gravel content on total and matric suction. The obtained data indicated that the results of standard tests can significantly overestimate the soil suction. In particularly, it was found that as the gravel content increased from 4.8 to 19.6%, the difference in suction between the “original” and “sieved” specimens increased to 14% (total suction) and almost 20% (matric suction). The experimental data showed that the effect of gravel was more pronounced for low plasticity soils, compared to high and very high plasticity soils, in which the influence of gravel on suction was found to be insignificant. Although the “sieved” specimens tended to produce higher values of suction, this tendency might reverse for high and very high plasticity soils when their liquidity index (LI) became positive.
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Journal Title
International Journal of GEOMATE
Volume
13
Issue
38
Copyright Statement
© 2017 GEOMATE International Society. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Civil engineering
Materials engineering not elsewhere classified