Effects of sample dimensions and shapes on measuring soil-water characteristic curves using pressure plate  

作　　者：Min Wang Lingwei Kong Meng Zang 

机构地区：[1]Civil and Computational Engineering Centre, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park [2]State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

出　　处：《Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering》2015年第4期463-468,共6页岩石力学与岩土工程学报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10872210);the State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (Grant No. Y11002)

摘　　要：It is well known that soilewater characteristic curve （SWCC） plays an important role in unsaturated soil mechanics, but the measurement of SWCC is inconvenient. In laboratory it requires days of testing time. For fine-grained clays, it may last for a couple of months using pressure plate tests. In this study, the effects of sample dimensions and shapes on the balance time of measuring SWCCs using pressure plate tests and the shape of SWCCs are investigated. It can be found that the sample dimensions and shapes have apparent influence on the balance time. The testing durations for circular samples with smaller diameters and annular samples with larger contact area are significantly shortened. However, there is little effect of sample dimensions and shapes on the shape of SWCCs. Its mechanism is explored and discussed in details through analysing the principle of pressure plate tests and microstructure of the sample. Based on the above findings, it is found that the circular samples with smaller dimensions can accelerate the testing duration of SWCC using the pressure plate.It is well known that soilewater characteristic curve （SWCC） plays an important role in unsaturated soil mechanics, but the measurement of SWCC is inconvenient. In laboratory it requires days of testing time. For fine-grained clays, it may last for a couple of months using pressure plate tests. In this study, the effects of sample dimensions and shapes on the balance time of measuring SWCCs using pressure plate tests and the shape of SWCCs are investigated. It can be found that the sample dimensions and shapes have apparent influence on the balance time. The testing durations for circular samples with smaller diameters and annular samples with larger contact area are significantly shortened. However, there is little effect of sample dimensions and shapes on the shape of SWCCs. Its mechanism is explored and discussed in details through analysing the principle of pressure plate tests and microstructure of the sample. Based on the above findings, it is found that the circular samples with smaller dimensions can accelerate the testing duration of SWCC using the pressure plate.

关 键 词：Soil-water characteristic curve （SWCC）Pressure plateMercury intrusionMicrostructureExpansive soil 

分 类 号：TU43[建筑科学—岩土工程]