Investigation on the shear moduli and damping ratios of silica gel

Abstract

Silica gel, a typical desiccant widely used in industry to absorb moisture, is a porous inert colloid with different sizes in beaded or angular shape. The mixture of silica gel and pore fluid of matched refractive index has been used as transparent media to mimic the behavior of sand. Previous studies have been focused on the static properties of transparent soil. In the current study, the dynamic properties of silica gel, including small-strain shear modulus and damping ratio, were examined through a series of resonant column tests. Four different gradations of silica gel were tested under confining pressures of 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 kPa. The test results fully displayed the dynamic behavior of the silica gel. The test data also revealed that silica gel has a certain similar dynamic behavior as those of natural soils. With the test findings, silica gel could be used as a surrogate for natural soils in dynamic transparent soil model tests.