Effect of Water Content on Consolidation Parameters

Abstract

AbstractMost practicing geotechnical engineers employ classical (saturated) soil mechanics to analyze geotechnical engineering problems even when unsaturated conditions are involved. This is misguided given that some of the fundamental features of unsaturated soil behavior cannot be properly represented without an understanding based on unsaturated soil mechanics. On a practical level, field applications such as the analysis of slope instabilities, landslides, earth dams, highways, and underground disposal of radioactive waste, all require a proper understanding of the behavior of unsaturated soils. Similarly, foundations as well as other geotechnical activities in regions where the natural soil is unsaturated to considerable depth necessitate significant insight into the behavior of these soils. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of water content on the consolidation parameters. To this end, 4 samples with different water content were chosen, as a first step, for the investigation of consolidation behavior as representatives of different ranges of moisture content. Then, consolidation tests were applied to each sample to find and compare the consolidation behavior of the samples. Two consolidation parameters: volume compressibility coefficient and compression index were analyzed and compared. The results showed that consolidation behavior depends on moisture content.KeywordsUnsaturated soilConsolidationWater contentVolume compressibilityCompression index