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Swelling pressure–suction relationship of heavily compacted bentonite–sand mixtures

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Abstract

This paper presents results of an experimental work to determine a relationship between swelling pressure and suction of heavily compacted bentonite–sand mixtures. For comparison, tests were also carried out on heavily compacted bentonite specimens. A series of swelling pressure tests were performed using multi-step constant-volume method where suction of the specimens tested was reduced in a stepwise manner toward a zero value. The suction reduction was induced using vapor equilibrium and axis-translation techniques. It is shown that compacted specimens did not exhibit any collapse upon suction decrease and exhibited maximum swelling pressures at zero-equilibrium suction. The development of swelling pressure with decreasing suction of the specimens showed threshold suctions below which a further reduction in suction yields an increase in the swelling pressure of the same magnitude. The magnitude of threshold suction was found to be a function of bentonite content in compacted specimens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Soil Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, Coudraystrasse 11c, 99421, Weimar, Germany

    Setianto Samingan Agus

  2. Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Snehasis Tripathy

  3. Laboratory of Foundation Engineering, Soil- and Rock Mechanics, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    Tom Schanz

  4. Laboratory of Soil Mechanics, University of Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarbaru, Indonesia

    Yulian Firmana Arifin

Authors
  1. Setianto Samingan Agus
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  2. Yulian Firmana Arifin
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  3. Snehasis Tripathy
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  4. Tom Schanz
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Correspondence to Tom Schanz.

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Agus, S.S., Arifin, Y.F., Tripathy, S. et al. Swelling pressure–suction relationship of heavily compacted bentonite–sand mixtures. Acta Geotech. 8, 155–165 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-012-0189-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-012-0189-0

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