• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.435-445
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• 2019

A series of element tests with different drainage conditions and strain rates were performed on compacted unsaturated non-plastic silt in unconfined conditions. Soil samples were compacted at water contents from dry to wet of optimum with the degree of saturation varying from 24 to 59.5% while maintaining the degree of compaction at 80%. The tests performed were shear infiltration tests in which specimens had constant net confining pressure, pore air pressure was kept drained and constant, just before the shear process pore water pressure was increased (and kept constant afterwards) to decrease matric suction and to start water infiltration. In constant water content tests, specimens had constant net confining pressure, pore air pressure was kept drained and constant whereas pore water pressure was kept undrained. As a result, the matric suction varied with increase in axial strain throughout the shearing process. In both cases, maximum shear strength was obtained for specimens prepared on dry side of optimum moisture content. Moreover, the gradient of stress path was not affected under different strain rates whereas the intercept of failure was changed due to the drainage conditions implied in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.97-104
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to investigate the strength characteristics of frozen clay. Compressive strength tests were performed on frozen clay with different water contents at various temperatures. The dry density of specimens and strain rate was kept constant. Test results showed that compressive strength increased with increasing water content and decreasing temperature. The increase in peak strength became more significant the lower the temperature for a given water content. The failure mode changed from brittle to ductile deformation with increasing water content and decreasing temperature. Tests also showed an increase in deformation modulus with increasing peak strength, increasing water content and decreasing temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2015

Dielectric constant depends on the variation of soil water content, and the estimation of soil water content using time domain reflectometry (TDR) has been studied by many researchers. The purpose of this study is the development and application of TDR penetrometer (TDRP) in order to evaluate the soil water content according to the penetration depth. The TDRP consists of cone, sleeve, driving rod, hammer, and guide. Three electrodes, which are used to measure the dielectric constant of soils, are mounted on the surface of sleeve and, in turn, connected with coaxial cable and time domain reflectometer. To establish the relationship between the volumetric water content and dielectric constant, several laboratory tests by using the TDRP are performed in the specimens with a variety of volumetric water content. The experimental results show that the dielectric constant is strongly correlated to volumetric water content as polynomial equations with an order of 3. In addition, the volumetric water content calculated from the dielectric constant is similar to that obtained from the sample weight. In the field, a small sampler is used to compare the volumetric water content calculated from the dielectric constant with the volumetric water content obtained from the sample. The results of field application demonstrate that the volumetric water content estimated by the TDRP shows similar trend to the gravimetric water content of sample. This study suggests that the TDRP is effectively used to evaluate the volumetric water content of unsaturated soils according to the penetration depth.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.237-244
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• 2020

To achieve a wide suction range, the low suction was imposed on compacted silt specimens by the axis translation technique and the high suction was imposed by the vapor equilibrium technique with saturated salt solutions. Firstly, the results of soil water retention tests on compacted silt show that the soil water retention curves in terms of gravimetric water content versus suction relation are independent of the dry density or void ratio in a high suction range. Therefore, triaxial tests on compacted silt with constant water content at high suctions can be considered as that with constant suction. Secondly, the results of triaxial shear tests on unsaturated compacted silt with the initial void ratio of about 0.75 show a strain-hardening behavior with a slightly shear contraction and then strain-softening behavior with an obviously dilation. As the imposed suction increases, the shear strength increases up to a peak value and then decreases when the suction is beyond a special value corresponding to the peak shear strength. The residual strength increases to fair value and those at high suctions are almost independent of imposed suctions. In addition, the contribution of suction to the strength of compacted silt would not diminish even in a high suction range.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.419-430
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• 2021

Investigation on the compressibility and shear strength of compacted loess is of great importance for the design and operation of engineering infrastructures in filling area. In this study, the mechanical behaviors of Yan'an compacted loess are investigated at various dry densities and water contents by conducting one dimensional compression and direct shear tests. And the elastic compressibility, plastic compressibility, yield stress and strength are obtained from the experiments. Results show that when water content increases, plastic compressibility parameter increases, but yield stress decreases. However, the increase of dry density leads to a decrease in plastic compressibility parameter but an increase in yield stress. In addition, elastic compressibility parameter is found to be a constant which is irrelevant to water content and dry density. As for strength, cohesion and internal friction angle is directly proportional to dry density, but inversely proportional to water content. Moreover, the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were also performed to observe the pore size distribution and microstructure of the specimens. Finally, by using results of MIP and SEM tests, the compressibility and strength behaviours of Yan'an compacted loess are explained from the perspective of pore-size distribution and microstructure.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.25-37
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• 2014

Clay or sand does not exist alone but various sizes of soil are mixed in the field. In this study, the effect of water content on large deformation of such mixed soils is studied by using soil column tests and a particle method. A soil column with 7 cm in diameter and 13 cm in height, which was made out of kaolinite with sand content of 0, 10, 25, or 50%, was tested for large deformation. Its deformation was monitored with time. While increasing its water content from 40, 60, to 80%, a total of 12 types of soil column tests were carried out. The particle method simulated their deformation with time. A maximum plastic shear modulus, which was a function of undrained shear strength and plasticity index for soils with different water contents, was associated with soil viscosity to simulate large deformation of soil column. When a sand content of soil column was constant, the deformation of soil column increased with increasing water content. When a water content of soil column was constant, large deformation occurred with increasing the sand content. The maximum deformation, which was 22 cm in diameter, was observed in the case of water content of 80% and sand content of 50%. The particle method was able to relatively well simulate such large deformation and stress change of soils.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.139-150
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• 1999

The swelling pressure of a potential buffer material was measured and the effect of dry density, bentonite content and initial water content on the swelling pressure was investigated to provide the information for the selection of buffer material in a high-level waste repository. Swelling tests were carried out according to Box-Behnken's experimental design. Measured swelling pressures were in the wide range of 0.7 Kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$ to 190.2 Kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$ under given experimental conditions. Based upon the experimental data, a 3-factor polynomial swelling model was suggested to analyze the effect of dry density, bentonite content and initial water content on the swelling pressure The swelling pressure increased with an increase in the dry density and bentonite content, while it decreased with increasing the initial water content and, beyond about 12 wt.% of the initial water content, levelled off to nearly constant value.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.153-163
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• 2016

In order to prevent ground collapses by groundwater level drawdown, we need to understand the groundwater flow and also make an analytical approach to the cause of the collapses. In this study, we used the result of the soil lab tests to compare and review the suitability of the various interaction equations about the relation between volumetric water content and the dielectric constant. In addition, using GPR (Ground-Penetrating Radar), we reviewed the possibility of calculating an estimate of dielectric constant. Lastly, we applied seepage analysis and stress-strain analysis to the sandy ground given by ground excavation. In comparison with the previous result of the soil lab tests, we similarly predicted the suction of unsaturated soil from results of stress-strain analysis considered the seepage force for the unsaturated soil.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.302-305
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• 2003

The electrokinetic remediation tests for natural soil contaminated by lead are performed on unsaturated conditions, in which the degree of saturation is controlled through the changes in water content and the constant unit weight. At the degree of saturation of 70% the small acid range and electrical potential is developed. The changes in the water content are little above the saturation of 90%. But it is increased by 1.7 times at the degree of saturation of 70%. Finally, the efficiency of extraction is improved at 70% than 100%.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.80-87
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• 1997

A series of tests was performed to determine a threshold concentration of water-soluble organic permeant(ethanol) for permeability to be increased in clay and to estimate long-term permeability behaviors, effects of overburden pressure and compaction conditions on permeability in clay. Results of study are as follows ; 1. A threshold concentration of water-soluble organic permeant(ethanol) in clay was about 7O~8O% and its dielectric constant was 40, and dielectric constant seems to be closely related with absolute permeability. 2. Permeability of long-term tests was more or less larger than that of short-term tests. 3. Overburden pressures applied for a long time elapsed have little effects on the restriction of permeability increase. 4. Since water content has no effects of compaction capability when it is compacted with OMC or wet side of OMC, its permeability is to be estimated as same level of dry side of OMC. 5. Clays matured in the humid chamber are increased in permeability 2 times larger than unmatured ones. Thixotropy, therefore, should be considered in the design procedures because field conditions of construction would be quite similar to this..