Investigation of the Thermal Conductivity of Compacted Silts and Its Correlation to the Elastic Modulus
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 4
Abstract
Thermal conductivity measurement is a quick and easy test for compacted soils. This study presents the results of thermal conductivity testing on silt compacted under standard and modified Proctor efforts. A comparison of moisture content measurements from both lab oven and field oven is also presented and discussed. Measured thermal conductivity was correlated to the bulk density and water content. It is further correlated to Young’s modulus and Shear modulus of the compacted silt, which were determined through ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements. Several trends were observed which may be used to correlate soil thermal conductivity of the compacted silt to compaction and elastic moduli for quality control/quality assurance of compacted soil.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support for this research work was provided by the Senator Bond Fund in Transportation Research through the Missouri Transportation Institute, and is gratefully acknowledged.
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© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 24, 2008
Accepted: Aug 5, 2009
Published online: Aug 7, 2009
Published in print: Apr 2010
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