Measurement of Dynamic and Static Properties of Residual Soil Using a Modified Cyclic Triaxial Apparatus

What is it about?

A cyclic triaxial apparatus was modified to determine the dynamic and static properties of a residual soil at different degrees of saturation. Modification includes addition of bender elements, local displacement transducers (LDTs) and proximity sensors. Improvements were made to the LDT set-up using 3-D printed hinges to reduce slippage of the LDT. Maximum shear modulus and damping ratio were obtained from the bender element signals. Shear modulus (normalized with maximum shear modulus) and damping ratio relationships with shear strains showed good agreement with similar soils in the literature. The soil specimens were sheared to failure after the cyclic triaxial tests. Saturated specimens were sheared under consolidated undrained condition while unsaturated specimens were sheared under constant water content condition. The unsaturated specimens ‘ϕ’ were observed to be similar to the saturated specimens ‘ϕ’ and the cohesion intercept increases as degree of saturation decreases.

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