Infiltration Column for Studying the Lateral Swell Behavior of Expansive Clay

Abstract

International audienceInfiltration column is usually used to investigate the hydro-mechanical processes in unsaturated expansive clay. In this test, the moisture transfer is often monitored along the column during water infiltration using suction or water content probes. Nevertheless, the lateral swelling pressure developed is rarely considered. This paper describes an infiltration column for studying the lateral swell behavior of expansive clay. The column consists of a rigid cell ensuring the constant-volume condition and a hydraulic system enabling the water intake of the hosted sample. It is equipped with three types of sensors: pressure sensors, force transducers, and displacement transducers to, respectively, monitor the radial and axial swelling pressure of the sample at different positions and to check whether any axial displacement is taking place. A detailed description of the different parts of the cell is first presented. Second, analysis on the results of a test on a compacted bentonite/sand mixture allows the pertinence of such a device to be evaluated

Modelling of oedometer tests on pellet-powder bentonite mixtures to support mock-up test analysis

“…The investigated material is MX-80 bentonite mixture with a mass base proportion of 80% high-density pellets and 20% powder. MX-80 bentonite presents a high montmorillonite content (80%), liquid limit 420 -560%, plastic limit 62%, and density of particles 2.77 Mg/m 3 [9]. High-density bentonite pellets (approximately 7 mm in diameter) have been produced by compaction to a dry density ȡ d = 1.99 Mg/m 3 .…”

Laboratory Test and Constitutive Model for Quantifying the Anisotropic Swelling Behavior of Expansive Soils

“…Recent studies have observed distinct anisotropic characteristics between vertical and horizontal swelling of intact expansive soil specimens [18][19][20]. From the microstructure analysis, flaky clay particles within expansive soils are inclined to orient horizontally after compaction; this preferred orientation phenomenon becomes more apparent with an increase in static pressure, consequently leading to significant differences in swelling behavior [21].…”