Suction controlled triaxial testing of unsaturated medium sand and sandy clay

Abstract

Suction controlled triaxial testing of unsaturated medium sand and sandy clay. This paper presents the results of the triaxial tests performed on medium sand and sandy clay samples. The shear strength and deformation characteristics from consolidated drained (CD) tests performed in a controlled saturation state were determined. The study was conducted in a modern apparatus for triaxial testing of unsaturated samples. Test specimens with a diameter of 70 mm and height of 140 mm were prepared by compaction in a laboratory in a special form. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of matric suction on the shear strength and deformation characteristic of medium sand and sandy clay. The axis translation technique was used to apply matric suction to soil specimens.