Monitoring Fine-Grain Soil Loading with Time-Domain Reflectometry
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 6
Abstract
Subsurface geophysical investigations have the potential of providing information for the long-term monitoring of geotechnical assets. This research evaluates the suitability of vertically and horizontally orientated, embedded time-domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements for monitoring of near-saturated, fine-grained soils under vertical loading conditions. TDR measurements were carried out regularly during vertical loading and unloading of near- and fully-saturated soil mixtures containing fine sand, kaolinite, and bentonite. The results show that TDR probe orientation, in relation to the load direction, affects the values of TDR measured apparent permittivity (AP) and bulk electrical conductivity (BEC). The relationship between the soil void ratio and AP was found to be clearer when measured in the direction of loading, whereas AP and BEC, measured normal to the load application, appears to reflect changes in pore water pressure. BEC was found to be more variable and less obvious. It is concluded that monitoring relative changes in temporal AP and BEC using embedded TDR sensors can provide unique and valuable information on how a soil responds to loading under near-saturated conditions.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The authors greatly acknowledge the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the “Assessing the Underworld” (ATU) project (Grant No. EP/KP021699/1) for the financial support provided and the University of Birmingham for the access to the testing materials and facilities. Special thanks go to the technicians of the Civil Engineering laboratories who built the testing setup.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 6 • June 2020
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©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 29, 2019
Accepted: Dec 9, 2019
Published online: Mar 19, 2020
Published in print: Jun 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 19, 2020
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