Effect of Compaction Water Content on the Drained and Undrained Behaviour of an Unsaturated Kaolin

Abstract

This paper reports the results of suction controlled and constant water content triaxial tests on a kaolin dynamically compacted at several water contents. Suction controlled tests, together with some tests on the material saturated in the triaxial cell, were meant to estimate the effects of partial saturation on shear strength. Constant water content tests were carried out to evaluate, in a faster but approximated way, the effects of the degree of saturation on shear strength. Results of the former type of tests are here used to calibrate an elasto-plastic model which is then used to simulate and interpret the results of the latter type of tests.