Graduation Semester and Year

2006

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Civil Engineering

Department

Civil Engineering

First Advisor

Laureano Hoyos

Abstract

The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) of unsaturated soils has considerable importance in the analysis of geotechnical engineering problems involving soils that remain under partially saturated conditions throughout any given year. The SWCC reflects the behavior of unsaturated soils with regard to its hydraulic conductivity, shear strength, and volume change behavior. Numerous investigations have been undertaken in recent decades to extend the unsaturated soil mechanics principles into conventional engineering practice. The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) has become a widely used experimental means for assessing fundamental properties of unsaturated soils for a wide range of suction values. However, a limited number of studies have focused on soil-water retention properties of natural and chemically treated expansive soils via the SWCC. The present work is motivated by the lack of experimental evidence of this type. The soil-water characteristic curves of expansive soil from south Arlington, Texas were measured under both natural and treated conditions using pressure plate (suction range of 0-690 kPa) and filter paper (suction range 690-1,000,000 kPa) techniques. The measured results were then analyzed using Fredlund and Xing's (1994) SWCC model equation. In addition, correlations were developed between basic soil and stabilizer properties, such as optimum moisture content, dry density, liquid limit, plastic limit, and stabilizer dosage and type, and Fredlund and Xing's model constants via multiple regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis shows that higher coefficients of correlations can be achieved by using six or more independent soil properties. The comparisons between the predicted and measured volumetric water contents are within _+15 .

Disciplines

Civil and Environmental Engineering | Civil Engineering | Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

Download

Share

COinS