Pressure Plate Tests Research Articles

Study on Effect of Particle Size Distribution on Water-Retention Capacity of Coral Sand from Macro and Micro Perspective

The reclamation coral sand (CS) layer is the survival environment for island reef vegetation in the South China Sea. The root system within the CS bed draws water necessary for vegetation growth, implying that the water-retention capacity of CS plays a pivotal role in determining vegetation viability. Particle size distribution (PSD) significantly influences the water-retention capacity of geomaterials. This study examines the impact of PSD on the water-retention capacity of CS from both macro (soil–water characteristic curve, SWCC) and micro (pore water distribution) perspectives using the pressure plate test and nuclear magnetic resonance technique, and an F&X model was used to analyze the SWCC of CS. The findings indicated that the F&X model aptly describes the SWCC of CS with different PSDs. Both the air entry value and residual water content rise with an increased content of fine grains (d < 0.25 mm), suggesting that the presence of fine grains augments the water-retention capacity of CS. It is considered that a size range of d = 0.075–0.25 mm predominantly impacts the water-retention capacity of CS. The PSD primarily influences the water-retention capacity by affecting the pore size distribution of CS. The volume of small pores swells with the surge of fine-grain content, while the maximum pore size contracts with increasing fine-grain content. Limited pore connectivity in CS means macropores can retain water even under high suction, bolstering the water-retention capacity of CS. These findings offer theoretical guidance for selecting gradation parameters for the planting layer on island reefs.

Effects of Compaction Water Content on Water Retention and Deformation Behavior of Compacted Loess

Compacted loess is widely used as a construction material in engineering practices. The compaction dry density and compaction water content have significant effects on the hydromechanical behavior of compacted loess, thereby influencing the serviceability and safety of engineering structures. The former was widely studied in previous studies, while the latter is rarely known. In this study, the water retention, compression, and collapse behavior of compacted loess at different compaction water contents are investigated through pressure plate and oedometer tests. Microstructure analysis was carried out for insight analysis of the test results. The air entry value and yield stress of compacted loess decreased by 64% and 50%, respectively, with the compaction water content increasing from 12.4% to 19.0%. This is due to the fact that the number of clods increases with increasing the compaction water content, leading to many large-sized pores (i.e., diameter > 1,000 μm) and weaker soil skeletons. The influence of compaction water content on the water retention and compression behavior of loess is more pronounced at lower compaction dry densities and lower testing water contents, respectively. In addition, the specimen shows smaller collapse indexes at higher compaction water contents, mainly because of the larger deformation induced by the initial compression.

Stress-dependent water retention behaviour of two intact aeolian soils with multi-modal pore size distributions

The water retention curve (WRC) of unsaturated soils plays a significant role in evaluating rainfall-induced geohazards in geological and geotechnical engineering, such as ground subsidence and slope failure. Stress can affect WRC because loading/unloading alters not only density but also pore size distribution (PSD). Previous studies of stress-dependent WRC focused on soils with mono- and bi-modal PSDs only. In this study, the WRCs of intact paleosol and intact loess with quadri- and tri-modal PSDs were measured using suction- and stress-controlled pressure plate tests. The full-range PSDs of tested specimens were determined by combining X-ray computed tomography (CT) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Experimental results show that the multi-modal PSDs and hence WRCs of both soils are strongly affected by stress in a similar approach. For instance, the relationship between degree of hysteresis and suction showed a double-humped pattern, in which the Peak-I and Peak-II were identified at the relatively low (0.1–20 kPa) and high (20–400 kPa) suctions, respectively. The application of stress resulted in a decrease of hysteresis in the Peak-I (about 30%) but an increase in the Peak-II (about 31%). The increase of hysteresis in the Peak-II differs from the behaviour of soils with mono- and bi-modal PSDs, mainly because the reduction of mega- and macro-pore diameters upon loading increases pore non-uniformity in the range corresponding to the Peak-II.

EFFECTS OF ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT ON THE SOIL-WATER CHARACTERISTICS CURVE OF LATERITIC SOIL

The lateritic soil, abundant in tropical and sub-tropical countries, is a common construction material used for various purposes, such as constructing transportation infrastructures, landfills, and other earthworks. The residual lateritic soil is usually located in the vadose zone (unsaturated zone) situated above the water table. Therefore, this paper investigates untreated and cement-treated lateritic soil behaviour in terms of Soil Water Characteristics Curve (SWCC), a key topic in unsaturated soil mechanics. The soil sampling was performed from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia campus, Johor Bahru, and then the collected soil was tested in the laboratory. The 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% ordinary Portland cement (OPC) according to the dry soil weight were utilized, and then the necessary basic tests, compaction tests, and pressure plate tests were performed. The obtained data points from pressure plate extractor equipment were fitted using Fredlund and Xing and van Genuchten models. The results exposed that the used soil is plastic silt (MH) and A7-5 according to the Unified soil classification System (USCS) and AASHTO, respectively. The Maximum Dry Density (MDD) increased from 1.39 g/cm3 for untreated to 1.419 g/cm3, 1.447g/cm3, 1.46g/cm3, and 1.479g/cm3 for 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% cement, respectively. Similarly, the Optimum Water Content (OMC) increased from 28% to 29.5, 30, 30.5, and 31% by adding 3, 6, 9, and 12% cement, respectively. Regarding the obtained SWCC results, the Air Entry Value (AEV) increased with the increasing cement content. Overall, the results revealed that the water holding capacity of lateritic soil increases with increasing cement content.

Experimental investigation of water retention curves of municipal solid wastes with different paper contents, dry unit weights and degrees of biodegradation

This paper investigates the drying and wetting water retention curves (WRCs) of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) with different paper contents, dry unit weights and degrees of biodegradation (DOBs). Fresh synthetic samples were prepared based on the field composition of the MSWs at Mugga Lane Landfill, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. The degraded samples were prepared in simulators with MSWs of different initial dry unit weights and decomposition periods with leachate recirculation. The water retention curves (WRCs) of the MSWs were determined using pressure plate tests, in both drying and wetting phases. The outflow from MSWs was analysed using Gardner’s method to obtain the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. The results indicate that the WRCs of the MSWs are greatly affected by the DOB, paper content and dry unit weight. When DOB < 30 %, as DOB increases, the air-entry pressure of MSWs with paper increases, and the residual moisture content decreases regardless of paper content. With DOB > 30 %, the air entry pressure and residual water content depend on the balance between organic matter and highly decomposed organic constituents. The paper content affects the WRCs of MSWs due to its water retention capacity and change in the particle size distribution with decomposition. The increase in the dry unit weight of MSWs significantly increases the air entry pressure and residual moisture content, similar to the borehole samples with combined effects of biodegradation and increase in stress level from literature. Hysteresis effects have been observed during the drying and wetting of MSWs. The hysteresis of WRCs increases with the paper content and DOB.

Analgesic properties of newly synthesized N pyrrolyl hydrazide hydrazones

Purpose: To screen a series of newly synthesized N-pyrrolyl hydrazide hydrazones for analgesic activity via Paw-pressure (PP) test and hot plate test (HPT).&#x0D; Methods: The compounds newly synthesized through the classical Paal-Knor cyclization, N-pyrrolyl hydrazide-hydrazones were administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Paw pressure and hot plate tests were applied to assess the analgesic properties. In addition, stress-induced analgesia with naloxone as a non-selective opioid receptor antagonist was performed.&#x0D; Results: The compound (DI-5g), containing an izatine carbonyl fragment, was the most promising. It presented the highest paw pressure threshold (25 AU at 30th min) by exceeding the analgesic activity of the referent metamizole (23 AU at 30th min). The relative effect from the hot plate test was consistent with the paw pressure results. Opioid receptors were involved in the analgesic activities of N-pyrrolyl hydrazide-hydrazones.&#x0D; Conclusion: The N-pyrrolyl carboxylic acids are synthesized and identified as new compounds and their hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives as promising leads for future design and synthesis of drugs with possibly prolonged analgesic activity.

The Endogenous Cannabinoid and the Nitricoxidergic Systems in the Modulation of Stress Responses.

The effects on stress-induced analgesia (SIA) from endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) and nitric oxide (NO) interaction after 1 h of restraint stress were evaluated in male Wistar rats. The animals were subjected to 1 h of restraint and then injected with different combinations of cannabinoid receptor type 1 agonist anandamide (AEA) or antagonist AM251 along with an NO donor, NO precursor, or inhibitor of NO synthase. Nociception was evaluated using paw pressure (PP) or hot plate (HP) tests. AEA was administered immediately after the end of restraint-SIA (r-SIA). Administration of NO precursor reversed the pronociceptive effect of the CB1 agonist on r-SIA. Both the CB1 antagonist and the NOS inhibitor neutralized the pro-analgesic effect of L-arginine (L-arg). Administration of an NO donor, instead, increased r-SIA. Our experiments confirmed that the endogenous cannabinoid and the NO-ergic systems interact in the modulation of r-SIA. This interaction probably implies NO as a second messenger of the ECS.

Influence of Drying–Wetting Cycles on the Water Retention and Microstructure of Residual Soil

Due to frequent changes in the humid and hot environment, the residual soil with a particle-size distribution (PSD) from gravel to clay experiences multiple drying–wetting cycles. The pressure plate test and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to investigate the influence of drying–wetting cycles on the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) and pore-size distribution (POSD) of undisturbed residual soil. The results showed that the water-holding capacity of the residual soil decreased as the number of drying–wetting cycles increased and gradually stablilized, and then the van Genuchten (VG) model was found to perform well on the SWCC during the drying–wetting processes. The NMR results indicated a double-pore structure, and the porosity of the residual soil as well as the internal water content increased smoothly with more drying–wetting cycles. The obtained POSD curve of soil implied that drying–wetting cycles had a more obvious effect on small pores and macro-pores than on micro-pores and meso-pores. Theoretical calculations evinced that the product of the matric suction and relaxation time should be constant at a constant temperature. However, the experimental results did not effectively reflect such a relation between the matric suction and relaxation time. A modified VG model based on the cumulative pore volume was utilized to describe the POSD under drying–wetting cycles. Subsequently, the proposed Rational2D surface equation was used to accurately reflect the internal relationship between the SWCC and POSD curve under different numbers of drying–wetting cycles. Moreover, the fractal model for the SWCC derived from the capillary theory confirmed that the matric suction had a strong linear relationship with the relative volumetric water content in the log-log scale. Also, the fractal dimension can be approximated as a constant, because its attenuation is small with more drying–wetting cycles.

Effects of in situ wetting–drying cycles on the mechanical behaviour of an intact loess

In situ wetting–drying cycles significantly and repeatedly influence the soil water content in the active zone but not in the steady zone. To investigate effects of in situ wetting–drying cycles on the mechanical behaviour of intact loess, a series of pressure plate tests was carried out with an intact loess sampled from the active and steady zones. Results show that the specimens from the steady zone have higher yield stresses at given suctions and a larger inclination of normalized loading collapse (LC) curve than the specimens from the active zone. As evidenced by the scanning electron microscopy results, the clay particles accumulating around the contacts between silt particles are widely observed in the former specimens but not in the latter specimens. The distribution of clay particles in the former specimens results in a stabilized skeleton with mechanical properties sensitive to suction variations. On the other hand, the maximum collapse potential of the specimen from the steady zone is 37% larger than that of the specimen from the active zone, mainly because of the larger inclination of normalized LC curve owned by the former specimen.

On the equilibrium of suction and pressure plate tests

Pressure and suction plate tests are among the most common techniques for determining the soil–water characteristic curve. The required testing period depends on many parameters and equilibrium times may vary from a few minutes to several weeks. This paper presents a numerical evaluation of the equilibrium process, considering the influence of soil type, equipment specifications, the use of thin high air-entry value (HAEV) membranes, and the employment of the interrupted outflow method (IOM). A fully coupled numerical model was developed and verified for the analysis of the conservation and flow of water and air in the specimen-HAEV interface system. Verification and sensitivity analyses showed, however, that the suction and pressure plate tests may be adequately represented using a simplified decoupled version of the full model. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed not only the role of the HAEV interface characteristics, but also the effect of soil type, suction value, suction step magnitude, and the suction path. It was found that the IOM offers greater control over testing times, but may cause undesirable suction reversals within the specimen. Finally, a simple method is presented to estimate the equilibrium times using basic testing parameters.

Determination of strain-dependent soil water retention characteristics from gradation curve

The importance of soil water retention characteristics in modelling the hydro-mechanical response of unsaturated soils has been well recognised by many investigators in recent years. Determination of strain-dependent soil water retention curve (SWRC) is likely to be extraordinarily difficult. The first two authors have recently shown that SWRC can be computed from the gradation curve and the calculation result is consistent with the experimental results obtained from pressure plate tests. In this paper, based on a hypothesis related to change in the pore size distribution (POSD) due to volumetric strain of soil skeleton, a method to compute strain-dependent SWRC is presented. It is found that at initial degrees of saturation higher than 0.8, the influence of volumetric strain may be marginal whilst at initial degrees of saturation lower than 0.8, its influence is likely to be substantial. In all cases, the gradation curve of the soil affects the SWRC.

Prediction of loess soil-water characteristic curve by mercury intrusion porosimetry

Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) is a simple and fast way to obtain the pore distribution of soil and can be used to estimate the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC). In previous studies, soil was assumed to be a perfect wettability material, and the contact angle (CA) of the soil-water interface was taken as zero in the SWCC prediction method. However, the CA has proved to be much greater than zero even for hydrophilic soils according to some soil wettability experiments, and it has a significant effect on predicting the SWCC. In this research, a method for predicting the SWCC by MIP, which takes the CA as a fitting coefficient, is proposed. The pore size distribution curves are measured by MIP, and the SWCCs of two loess soils are measured by pressure plate and filter paper tests. When the CA is taken as 70° and 50° for the wetting and drying process, respectively, the SWCCs predicted by the pore size distribution curves agree well with the measured SWCCs. The predicted suction range of the proposed method is 0–105 kPa. The consistency of the results suggests that utilizing the MIP test to predict the SWCC with a proper CA is effective for loess.

Characterizing Influence of Water Access Condition during Freezing on Resilient Behavior of Alaskan Base Course Materials

Accurate characterization of the resilient behavior of the base course materials under different climatic conditions is critical for the design of reliable and cost-effective pavement structures. In Alaska, the resilient behavior of base course materials usually undergoes significant variation due to seasonal change and extreme climatic conditions. Previous studies have revealed that the resilient behavior of base course materials could be significantly influenced by the freezing process. In this study, the freezing process under two extreme conditions (i.e., free and no water access conditions) that base course materials could possibly experience in the field was simulated using a one-dimensional frost heave cell. The influences of the water access condition during freezing on the frost heave and resilient modulus (MR) of the base course materials with different fines and initial water contents was assessed based on the results from the freezing process and repeated load triaxial tests. A pressure plate test was also performed to build the relationship between suction and water content of soils with different fines content. Suction was then introduced to model MR of the materials tested under unfrozen conditions before and after a freeze–thaw cycle. The adoption of suction significantly simplified the equation for MR prediction. Finally, structural analyses were conducted using BISAR and Alaska Flexible Pavement Design (AKFPD) software and the results revealed that free water access during freezing can significantly accelerate cracking and reduce pavement service life.

The unsaturated shear strength of calcareous soil in comparison with silicate soil

Marine calcareous sediments are quite prevalent in coasts of tropical regions. Significant differences have been observed between marine calcareous and silicate soils in terms of mechanical behaviors, shear strength, liquefaction resistance, etc., mainly due to considerable intra-particle voids in calcareous sediments. In the present study, constant water content (CW) triaxial tests were performed on two similar grain size distributions of both calcareous and silicate specimens to evaluate unsaturated shear behavior of calcareous soil for the first time, and compare it with a reference silicate soil. Saturated triaxial tests were also conducted to obtain saturated shear strength parameters of both soils. Porous structure of calcareous soil was studied using scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry tests. Soil–water retention curves resulting from pressure plate tests were also obtained for both soils. Calcareous soil showed higher water retention capacity, attributing to its porous microstructure, and it experienced higher suction changes during CW tests. Effective stress parameter (χ) and capillary cohesion of calcareous soil were indirectly influenced by its microstructure, and were higher compared to silicate soil. Like the silicate soil, for the calcareous soil, critical state line was unique and close to saturated state.

Non-invasive time domain reflectometry probe for transient measurement of water retention curves in structured soils

Transient evaporation method is promising for rapid measurement of soil water retention curve (WRC). Existing apparatuses of transient evaporation method are not ideal for measuring the WRC of structured soils because of the sample disturbance induced by invasive water content probes used. In this study, non-invasive TDR probes with different waveguide layouts (i.e., different number of conductors and waveguide length) were developed to measure the WRC of loess during transient evaporation, while the soil suction is recorded through a tensiometer. Results show that the WRCs of undisturbed and remolded loess measured by a three-conductor non-invasive TDR probe are in good agreement with the results of pressure plate tests. The differences in the air entry value (AEV) and desorption rate between the WRCs measured by the transient evaporation method and the pressure plate measurement are less than 10 %. On the other hand, the WRCs measured by a two-conductor non-invasive TDR probe underestimate the water content for a given suction. The AEV of undisturbed and remolded loess determined by the transient evaporation method is 66.7 % and 112.9 % smaller than the results of pressure plate measurements, respectively. The underestimation of the two-conductor non-invasive TDR probe in measuring the WRC of loess can be attributed to the fact that the vertical sampling range of two-conductor non-invasive TDR probe is two times greater than that of the tensiometer. The results in this study show the effectiveness of using the non-invasive TDR probe along with a tensiometer for measuring the WRC. More importantly, great caution should be taken on compliant sampling volume of the non-invasive TDR probe and tensiometer to obtain accurate WRC measurements.

Eruca sativa Meal against Diabetic Neuropathic Pain: An H2S-Mediated Effect of Glucoerucin.

The management of pain in patients affected by diabetic neuropathy still represents an unmet therapeutic need. Recent data highlighted the pain-relieving efficacy of glucosinolates deriving from Brassicaceae. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-hyperalgesic efficacy of Eruca sativa defatted seed meal, along with its main glucosinolate, glucoerucin (GER), on diabetic neuropathic pain induced in mice by streptozotocin (STZ). The mechanism of action was also investigated. Hypersensitivity was assessed by paw pressure and cold plate tests after the acute administration of the compounds. Once bio-activated by myrosinase, both E. sativa defatted meal (1 g kg−1 p.o.) and GER (100 µmol kg−1 p.o., equimolar to meal content) showed a dose-dependent pain-relieving effect in STZ-diabetic mice, but the meal was more effective than the glucosinolate. The co-administration with H2S scavengers abolished the pain relief mediated by both E. sativa meal and GER. Their effect was also prevented by selectively blocking Kv7 potassium channels. Repeated treatments with E. sativa meal did not induce tolerance to the anti-hypersensitive effect. In conclusion, E. sativa meal can be suggested as a new nutraceutical tool for pain relief in patients with diabetic neuropathy.

Predicting resilient modulus of fine-grained subgrade soils considering relative compaction and matric suction

The resilient modulus has been used to characterise the stress-strain non-linear behaviour of subgrade soils and is an important parameter for pavement design and analysis. This study aims at developing an accurate and efficient methodology to estimate the resilient modulus of subgrade soils. Therefore, repeated load triaxial tests were carried out in this study. The soil matric suction was measured by the pressure plate test and the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) was described using the Fredlund & Xing model. Then, the influence of stress state, matric suction and relative compaction on the resilient modulus were analysed. Subsequently, a new resilient modulus model was proposed to incorporate the relative compaction and matric suction in addition to the stress state. The new model matched 7 sets of experimental data well and the coefficients of determination were high, which indicates that this new model is reasonable and widely applicable. Finally, the correlations between the basic properties variables of soil samples and the regression coefficients of the new model were established.

Rapid estimation of resilient modulus of subgrade soils using performance-related soil properties

ABSTRACT This study aims at developing an efficient and accurate methodology to estimate the resilient modulus of subgrade soils. First, a new resilient modulus model incorporating stress dependence and moisture dependence was proposed. Second, prediction models were developed to conveniently and accurately determine model parameters of SWCC and resilient modulus model. In order to characterise the moisture dependence of subgrade soils, the matric suction was added into the proposed model. The matric suction was measured by the pressure plate test and the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) was used to determine the matric suction value at any given moisture contents. In order to develop prediction models for model parameters of SWCC and resilient modulus model, the laboratory experiments and multiple regression analysis were conducted on 22 soil samples. A series of performance-related soil properties were measured and used to develop the coefficients prediction models. The developed coefficients prediction models using the performance-related soil properties have high R-squared values and were validated by comparing the measured and predicted values of resilient modulus. Therefore, when the basic physical properties of soils were obtained, the resilient modulus can be predicted for the subgrade soils at any given matric suctions and stress states.

Experimental Study on the SWCC Transition Zone Features of Unsaturated Soil

In order to study the soils SWCC transition zone features under different steady-state and transient conditions, a series of pressure plate and model tests were carried out; the internal structure adjustment of soil caused by different test conditions is the underlying reason for the change in SWCC transition zone curve. Results show that the slope of the SWCC transition zone decreases with the reduction in the applied vertical stress and the number of drying–wetting cycles during the pressure plate test; for the model test, the change in SWCC transition zone of high compaction degrees and steep slope soil under the same condition is obviously smaller than that of low compaction degrees and gentle slope soil, that is, the slope of the former SWCC transition zone is obviously slower than the latter. Also, the soil parameters a and b which represented the intercept and slope of the fitting line in the plane log(θ) − log(φ) have a strong linear relationship, implying all the models and natural soils are of similar grading, and these transition zone features do not alter with test conditions changing. The above research will be useful and meaningful as reference for the engineering characteristics and governance of the residual slope.

Soil water characteristic curves for laterite soil at different water contents and methods as lining system

Preventing groundwater contamination from the most common method of solid waste disposal technique i.e. landfilling is by proving hydraulic barriers. Accordingly, water movement in unsaturated soil is important in the analysis of leachate migration in soil material used as hydraulic barrier in waste containment systems. A full-scale experiment would be prohibitively costly and time consuming. The only feasible recourse therefore is to construct a model, which reasonably portray the behaviour of the full-scale system and simulate the relevant physical parameters and describes the overall significant characteristics of the transport phenomena. This paper presents the trends and patterns of soil water characteristic curves (SWCC) in terms of volumetric water content versus soil suction developed for compacted laterite soil specimens using data from pressure plate tests. Specimens were prepared at three different water contents corresponding to dry of optimum, optimum, and wet of optimum conditions. Models suggested by Brooks and Corey (BC), van Genuchten (VG), and Fredlund and Xing (FX) were used to obtain curve fitting parameters using the program “SWRC Fit” which performed nonlinear fitting of soil water retention curves. The SWRC Fit can simultaneously calculate the fitting parameters of these models with Root Mean Square Error values and draw the fitting curves. By comparing the results of the models using SWRC Fit, the model that best fits the laterite soil investigated will be chosen to be used for further analysis. The results show that the BC model represents the soil water retention curves better than the VG and FX models when the soil has distinct air entry suction. On the other hand, the VG and FX models can fit most soil water retention curves very well when discussion on the pore-size distribution is desired.