scholarly journals Assessment of Various Methods to Measure the Soil Suction

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 171-184
Keyword(s):  
Filter Paper ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Test Procedure ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Matric Suction ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
Paper Technique ◽  
Total Suction

The foundation of the lightweight structures is commonly in unsaturated state conditions because located above the ground-water table. The matric suction governs the hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. Soil suction estimation is challenging both in the field and lab. The indirect and direct techniques are utilized to measure the soil suction. Several types of equipment utilized to measure the soil suction have been developed with innovative technology. However, there are constraints on reliability, suction range estimation, application, etc. The primary objective of this study is to review, describe the working principle, report limits, and benefits of various techniques utilized to measure the soil suction and select the cost-effective. A comparative study on direct and indirect technique of soil suction estimation is conducted base on recent literature, with a focus on suction range, procedure, type of suction, processing time, and application (lab/field). The apparatus utilized to measure directly or indirectly the matric suction found in the literature displays the highest range in the order of 1500 kPa except for the filter paper. The thermocouple psychrometer and the transistor psychrometer can measure a maximal total suction of 8000 kPa. The chilled-mirror hygrometer can measure a maximal total suction of 30000 kPa in the laboratory. The filter paper technique and the chilled-mirror hygrometer are cost-effective techniques. However, the filter paper technique is likely the easiest and low-cost technique to measure the matric suction and total suction for the full range with extreme care in the test procedure both in the field and lab.

Soil Suction Dispersion and Statistical Analysis with Depth at the Medford Airport

1997 ◽  
Vol 1596 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-83
Author(s):  
James B. Nevels
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Filter Paper ◽  
Test Procedure ◽  
Matric Suction ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
Sample Interval ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference ◽  
T Distribution ◽  
Total Suction

The use of soil suction measurements has steadily increased in geotechnical practice. A current standard test procedure that describes the use of laboratory filter papers as passive sensors to measure the soil matric and total suction is ASTM D5298-94. The principal objective of the research presented here was to evaluate dispersion of suction measurements with depth using the filter paper method described in the ASTM standard. In a single test boring to a depth of 5.33 m, 35 samples were taken at intervals of 152.4 mm. Each sample was separated into four replicate samples. The matric and total suction of each of the 35 sample intervals were then measured, resulting in a total of 278 suction measurements. To manage this volume of tests, the sample size was split approximately in half, and each portion was separately tested. This approach led to severall insights into the test procedure, such as the effect of delay in transferring the filter paper from the specimen container into the metal container. Sampling and testing are described. The dispersion of both the total and the matric suction measurements was characterized in three ways: the range of measurements in each sample interval, the standard deviation of measurements in each sample interval, and an error function defined as the difference between each measurement and the mean for the sample interval. Each of these statistics was plotted as a histogram. A chi-squared test was applied to measure the goodness-of-fit of a t-distribution fitted to the error as defined by the difference between each measurement and the mean for that sample interval. Results indicate precision for total and matric suction measurements of 0.0540 log kPa within one standard deviation. Analysis does not indicate a substantial difference between the error associated with total suction measurements and that associated with matric suction measurements. A brief description of the conventional geotechnical site characterization is presented for the Medford Airport.

Model for the prediction of shear strength with respect to soil suction

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
S K Vanapalli ◽  
D G Fredlund ◽  
D E Pufahl ◽  
A W Clifton
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Matric Suction ◽  
Glacial Till ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
Soil Water Characteristic Curve

Experimental studies on unsaturated soils are generally costly, time-consuming, and difficult to conduct. Shear strength data from the research literature suggests that there is a nonlinear increase in strength as the soil desaturates as a result of an increase in matric suction. Since the shear strength of an unsaturated soil is strongly related to the amount of water in the voids of the soil, and therefore to matric suction, it is postulated that the shear strength of an unsaturated soil should also bear a relationship to the soil-water characteristic curve. This paper describes the relationship between the soil-water characteristic curve and the shear strength of an unsaturated soil with respect to matric suction. Am empirical, analytical model is developed to predict the shear strength in terms of soil suction. The formulation makes use of the soil-water characteristic curve and the saturated shear strength parameters. The results of the model developed for predicting the shear strength are compared with experimental results for a glacial till. The shear strength of statically compacted glacial till specimens was measured using a modified direct shear apparatus. Specimens were prepared at three different water contents and densities (i.e., corresponding to dry of optimum, and wet of optimum conditions). Various net normal stresses and matric suctions were applied to the specimens. There is a good correlation between the predicted and measured values of shear strength for the unsaturated soil. Key words: soil-water characteristic curve, shear strength, unsaturated soil, soil suction, matric suction.

Use of thermal conductivity sensors to measure matric suction in the laboratory

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Sattler ◽  
D. G. Fredlund
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Pore Water Pressure ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Test Procedure ◽  
Matric Suction ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Equilibration Time ◽  
Overburden Pressure ◽  
Conductivity Sensor

The measurement of soil suction is pivotal to the application of soil mechanics principles in geotechnical engineering practice related to unsaturated soils. Volume change, shear strength, and seepage analyses all require an understanding of the matric suction in the soil. This note summarizes the use of thermal conductivity sensors to measure matric suction in the laboratory. The thermal conductivity sensor is described along with its mode of operation. A brief description is given of the procedure for calibrating thermal conductivity sensors using a pressure plate apparatus. The measurement of matric suction can be performed in the laboratory on Shelby tube samples. The laboratory measurements of matric suction can be adjusted for the effect of overburden pressure in the field. The required equilibration time for suction measurements is discussed along with details of the test procedure. The applications of the measured suction values to design are briefly discussed.Key words: matric suction, negative pore-water pressure, thermal conductivity sensor, laboratory, undisturbed samples.

scholarly journals LABORATORY WORK ON TOTAL SUCTION CALIBRATION CURVE FOR WHATMAN #42 FILTER PAPER

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Yusep Muslih Purwana
Keyword(s):  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Salt Solution ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Filter Paper ◽  
Indirect Method ◽  
Pore Water Pressure ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Total Suction

<p>Soil suction is one of main parameter in unsaturated soil mechanics as its measurement is as very important as pore water pressure measurement for effective stress concept in saturated soil mechanics.Basically, the measurement of soil suction can be classified into 2 categories; direct and indirect method. In the first method, negative pore water pressure is measured directly to obtain matric suction, whereas in indirect method, suction is obtained indirectly by using salt solution and censor.  Calibration is then required to establish the relationship between concentration of salt solution and censor. Filter paper method is considered as the simplest method and relatively low cost compare to other method. The studies conducted by many investigators indicate that calibration curve from one type to another type of filter paper is quite different. This paper presents the basic concepts of laboratory work on establishing total suction calibration curve for Wahtmann #42 filter paper. The work has been conducted using NaCl and KCl solutions with different molality to generate different suction. The result indicates that the higher molality of solution, the higher suction is generated. The calibration curve from KCl exhibits a bit higher compare to the one from NaCl. The difference of both curves most probably is due to the difference of equilibration period and suction source.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Calibration curve, filter paper, suction, unsaturated soil</p>

scholarly journals The Influence of Drying-Wetting Cycles on the Suction Stress of Compacted Loess and the Associated Microscopic Mechanism

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1809
Author(s):  
Yongpeng Nie ◽  
Wankui Ni ◽  
Xiangning Li ◽  
Haiman Wang ◽  
Kangze Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Filter Paper ◽  
Pore Diameter ◽  
Matric Suction ◽  
Microscopic Mechanism ◽  
Suction Stress ◽  
Dominant Soil ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Soil Pores ◽  
Paper Method ◽  
Compacted Loess

To better understand and analyze the unsaturated stability of loess filling body, it is necessary to study the changes in suction stress before and after the drying-wetting cycles. In this study, the SWCC of compacted loess before and after drying-wetting cycles was tested using the filter paper method. Then, the suction stress was calculated and the microstructure of the loess sample was determined by the SEM and NMR. The results showed that the drying-wetting cycles had an important influence on the SSCC and microstructure of compacted loess. The change in suction stress before and after the drying-wetting cycles can be well explained by the loess microstructure. The drying-wetting cycles did not significantly change the basic trend of the compacted loess’s SSCC, but it increased the porosity and the dominant pore diameter of loess, and reduced the suction stress under the same matric suction. The main significant change in suction stress with matric suction occurred within the range of the dominant soil pores. The larger the dominant pore diameter, the smaller the suction stress under the same matric suction. In addition, this study proposes a new method for calculating suction stress based on the PSD parameters.

A modified filter paper technique for long-term preservation of some fungal cultures

Mycologist ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 127-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.K. Fong ◽  
S. Anuar ◽  
H.P. Lim ◽  
F.Y. Tham ◽  
F.R. Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Filter Paper ◽  
Paper Technique ◽  
Long Term Preservation
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document