In this study, the effect of fluid fingering on the solid remodeling of a granular material during the drainage phenomenon is investigated. A new biaxial apparatus, endowed with two transparent windows and adapted to unsaturated soils, is used to capture the effects of hydraulic instabilities on the mechanical response, by means of high-resolution cameras. A specimen of (40 × 50 × 11) mm3, of Fontainebleau sand NE 34 initially saturated by water, is connected to a pressure-controlled gas source to inject the gas into the sample. During the injection phase, fluid instabilities are detected and filmed. Using imaging techniques, the grain remodeling and strain localization due to the two-phase fluid flow are measured.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.