Ultrasonic Testing for Compacted Clayey Soils

Abstract

In this study. tests were conducted to investigate the use of ultrasonic methods to determine compaction characteristics of clayey soils. In particular, through transmission test method was used to determine P-wavc velocities in compacted clayey soils. Effects of soil type and compaction conditions on velocity were investigated. Tests were conducted on three soils that had low. medium, and high plasticity. Soils were prepared at water contents ranging from dry to wet of optimum using standard and modified compaction efforts. It was observed that velocity increased with increasing compactive effort and decreasing plasticity and clay content. Moreover. the variation of ultrasonic velocity with water content was similar to the variation of dry density with water content. Shapes of the water content versus velocity plots correlated well with the shapes of compaction plots. Access to two opposite surfaces of samples was required to perform through-transmission measurements. Additional tests were conducted to determine the feasibility of using surface-transmission with access required only to top surface of soils to measure velocity. Velocities that were similar to through-transmission velocities were obtained with surface measurements using correction factors. Through-transmission can be used in the laboratory; whereas surface-transmission can potentially be used in the field to determine ultrasonic velocity of compacted clayey soils. This method shows promise for determination of compaction properties of clayey soils in the field.

Effect of wetting-drying cycles on soil desiccation cracking behaviour

“…These broken bonds may attract water and become weakest locations where are the preferential zones of cracking. Yesiller et al (2000) and Tang et al (2008) have observed that cracks appeared at the same locations as the first drying cycle in the second and third cycles [6,17]. However, this observation was not evident in present research after comparing Fig.…”

Wave Propagation Methods for Determining Stiffness of Geomaterials

“…Generally, Go of geomaterials is routinely measured in earthquake engineering. In highway engineering, the application of Go tests to assess the stiffness of highway materials and structural variability for pavement performance has increased dramatically (Kim and Stokoe 1992, Souto et al 1994, Kim et al 1997, Chen et al 1999, Nazarian et al 1999, Fiedler et al 2000, Yesiller et al 2000, Zeng et al 2002, Nazarian et al 2003. The key advantage of Go tests over conventional modulus tests is their ability to rapidly and non-destructively assess the shear modulus of highway materials at the surface or under a free-field condition (i.e., zero confining pressure).…”

“…Lawrence (1963), Nacci and Taylor (1967), Sheeran et al (1967), Woods (1978), Nakagawa et al (1996), Yesiller et al (2000) Seismic Reflection…”

“…The profile of shear wave velocity is obtained in a same manner as the seismic down-hole test. The receiver is located in the cone Campanella et al (1986), Robertson et al (1986), Baldi et al (1988), Campanella (1994), Kramer (1996), Mayne (2001), Frost and Burns (2003) In particular, pulse transmission method using piezoelectric transducers have been commonly used to monitor P-and S-wave propagation in many different types of geomaterials (Lawrence 1963, Sheeran et al 1967, Woods 1978, Yesiller et al 2000. In spite of its common use, such method has several shortcomings.…”

Ultrasonic Assessment of Stabilized Soils

“…Details of the determination of first arrival time are presented by Inci (2000). This setup was also used effectively to test compacted clayey soils and concrete (Yesiller et al 2000, Udegbunam 2000. A typical waveform obtained in the tests is presented in Figure 2.…”