Void Ratio Estimation of Soft Soils Using Electrical Resistivity Cone Probe
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 1
Abstract
Electrical properties of soils have commonly been used to estimate geotechnical properties. This paper introduces a new device, an electrical resistivity cone probe (ERCP), to determine the electrical resistivity of seashore soft soils and estimate void ratio in the field. The probe consists of inner and outer electrodes with a coaxial structure. The probe tip is conical to minimize disturbance during penetration. A four-terminal pair configuration is used to prevent electrical interference. The electrical resistance is measured during a consolidation test, penetration tests in a large-scale calibration chamber, and at two field sites. With the resistivity of soils and electrical resistivity of pore water extracted from undisturbed soils, the void ratio is estimated using Archie’s law. The void ratio estimated by the ERCP in an oedometer cell is almost the same as the volumetric void ratio of sand determined from consolidation tests. In addition, the void ratio profile obtained by the ERCP agrees well with the volume-based void ratio in a sand-clay mixture prepared in the calibration chamber. The void ratio profile estimated in the field is inversely proportional to the standard penetration testing -value and the cone-tip resistance of the cone penetration test. This paper demonstrates that the ERCP may be an effective device for the estimation of the void ratio of seashore soft soils.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD, Basic Research Promotion Fund, Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDKRF-2008-331-D00603) and by the Korea Institute of Construction Transportation Technology Evaluation and Planning (KICTTEP) Research Center Program, Grant No. UNSPECIFIED05-Regional Development (B04-01).
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 1 • January 2011
Pages: 86 - 93
Copyright
© 2011 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 30, 2009
Accepted: Jun 28, 2010
Published online: Dec 15, 2010
Published in print: Jan 2011
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