Abstract
Negative water column and axis translation techniques are conventionally used experimental techniques for obtaining data to interpret the engineering behavior of unsaturated soils. The negative or the hanging water column technique is used as a suction control method in the low suction range (i.e., 0–30 kPa). The axis translation technique is used in the suction range 0 to 500 kPa or higher. This technique is particularly useful for testing specimens with suction values greater than 100 kPa avoiding problems associated with cavitation. While the axis-translation technique has been commonly used, the limitations associated with this technique related to air diffusion, water volume change and evaporation are not discussed in greater detail in the literature. This paper highlights some of the key aspects related to the negative water column and axis translation technique that are of interest both to the researchers and practicing engineers.
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Adams BA, Wulfsohn D, Fredlund DG (1996) Air volume change measurement in unsaturated soil testing using a digital-pressure volume controller. Geotech Testing J 19(1):12–21
Alonso EE, Gens A, Josa A (1990) A constitutive model for partially saturated soils. Géotechnique 40(4):405–430
Aversa S, Nicotera MV (2002) A triaxial and oedometer apparatus for testing unsaturated soils. Geotech Testing J 25(1):3–15
ASTM (2003) D 6836–Standard test methods for determination of the soil water chararcteristic curve for desorption using a hanging column, pressure extractor, chilled mirror hygrometer, and/or centrifuge. American Society for Testing Materials, Philadelphia
Barbour SL (1998) Nineteenth Canadian geotechnical colloquium: the soil–water characteristic curve: a historical perspective. Can Geotech J 35:873–894
Barden L, Madedor O, Sides GR (1969) Volume changes characteristics of unsaturated clay. ASCE J Soil Mech And Found Div 5(1):33–52
Bocking KA, Fredlund DG (1980) Limitations of the axis translation technique.In: Proceedings of the 4th international conference expansive soils, Denver, pp 117–135
Buckingham E (1907) Studies on the movement of soil moisture. Bull 38 USDA, Bureau of Soils, Washington DC
Bishop AW (1959) The principle of effective stress. Teknisk Ukeblad I Samarabeide Med Teknikk, Oslo, Norway 106(39):859–863
Bishop AW, Donald IB (1961) The experimental study of partly saturated soil in the triaxial apparatus. In: Proceedings 5th ICSMFE, vol 1. Paris, pp 13–21
Cui YJ, Delage P (1996) Yielding and plastic behaviour of an unsaturated compacted silt. Géotechnique 46(2):291–311
Dane JH, Oostrom M, Missildine BC (1992) An improved method for the determination of capillary pressure-saturation curves involving TCE, water and air. J Contam Hydrol 11:69–81
Dane JH, Hopmans JW (2002) Hanging water column. In: Dane JH, Topp GC (eds) Methods of soil analysis––part 4––physical methods. Soil Sci Soc of Am, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA
DeGennaro V, Cui YJ, Delage P, De Laure E (2002) On the use of high air entry value prous stones for suction control and related problems. In: Juca JFT, de Campos TMT, Marinho FAM (eds) Second international conference on unsaturated soils. Swets & Zeitlinger, Lissee, pp 435–441
Farulla A, Ferrari A (2005) Controlled suction oedometric test: analysis of some experimental aspects. In: Tarantino A, Romero E, Cui YJ (eds) Advanced experimental unsaturated soil mechanics. Trento, Italy, pp 43–48
Fredlund DG (1975) A diffused air volume indicator for unsaturated soils. Can Geotech J 12:533–539
Fredlund DG, Morgenstern NR (1977) Stress state variables for unsaturated soils. J Geotech Eng Div. ASCE 103:447–466
Fredlund DG, Rahardjo H (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. Wiley, New York
Fredlund DG, Vanapalli SK (2002) Shear strength of unsaturated soils. In: Dane JH, Topp GC (eds) Methods of soil analysis, part 4-physical methods, Soil Sci Soc of Am, Inc., Madison, pp 324–360
Gallipoli D, Gens A, Sharma RS, Vaunat J (2003) An elasto-plastic model for unsaturated soil incorporating the effect of suction and degree of saturation on mechanical behavior. Géotechnique 53(1):123–135
Haines WB (1927) A further contribution to the theory of capillary phenomenon in soils. J Agric Sci 17:264–290
Haines WB (1930) Studies in the physical properties of soil: V. The hysteresis effect in capillary properties, and the modes of moisture distribution associated therewith. J Agric Sci 20:97–116
Hilf JW (1956) An investigation of pore-water pressure in compacted cohesive soils, Ph. D. Thesis. Technical Memorandum No. 654, United State Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, Design and Construction Division, Denver, Colorado, USA
Hoyos LR, Takkabutr P, Puppala AJ (2006) A modified pressure plate device for SWCC testing under anisotropic stress state. In: Miller GA, Zapata CE, Houston SL, Fredlund DG (eds) Unsaturated soils 2006, GSP No. 147, vol 2. Am Soc of Civ Eng, pp 1753–1762
Infante Sedano, JA (2006) A modified ring shear test device for determining the hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. Ph.D. thesis. University of Ottawa
Infante Sedano JA Vanapalli SK Garga VK (2007) Modified ring shear apparatus for unsaturated soils Testing. Geotech Testing J. Am Soc Testing Mater 30(1):1–12
Lawrence CA Houston WN Houston SL (2005) Pressure pulse technique for measuring diffused air volume. In: Tarantino A, Romero E, Cui YJ (eds) Advanced experimental unsaturated soil mechanics, Trento, Italy, pp 9–13
Leong EC Rahardjo H (1997) Permeability functions for unsaturated soils. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 123:1118–1126
Liu HH Dane JH (1995a) Improved computational procedure for retention relations of immiscible fluids using pressure cells. Soil Sci Soc Am J 59:1520–1524
Liu HH, Dane JH (1995b) Computation of the Brooks–Corey parameters at a physical point based on pressure cell data. Department of Agronomy and Soils Special Report, July 1995. Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, AL
Lu N, Likos WJ (2004) Unsaturated soil mechanics. Wiley, New York
Maâtouk A, Leroueil S, La Rochelle P (1995) Yielding and critical state of a collapsible unsaturated silty soil. Géotechnique 45(3):465–477
Macari EJ, Parker JK, Costes NC (1997) Measurement of volume changes in triaxial tests using digital imaging techniques. Geotech Testing J 20(1):103–109
Marinho FAM, Take WA, Tarantino A (2008) Measurement of matric suction using tensiometric and axis translation techniques. Geotech Geol Eng. doi:10.1007/s10706-008-9201-8
Matyas EL, Radhakrishna HS (1968) Volume change characteristics of partially saturated soils. Géotechnique 18(4):432–448
Narasimhan TN (2005) Buckingham, 1907: an appreciation. Vadose Zone J 4:434–441
Ng CWW, Zhan LT, Cui YJ (2002) A new simple system measuring volume changes in unsaturated soils. Can Geotech J 39(3):757–764
Oliveria OM, Fernanado FAM (2006) Study of equilibration in the pressure plate. In: Miller GA, Zapata CE, Houston SL, Fredlund DG (eds) Unsaturated soils 2006, GSP No. 147, vol 2. Am Soc of Civ Eng, pp 1864–1874
Olson RE, Langfelder J (1965) Pore-water pressures in unsaturated soils. J Soil Mech Found Div, Proc of Am Soc of Civ Eng 91(4):127–160
Padilla JM, Perera YY, Houston WN, Fredlund DG (2005) A new soil–water characteristic curve device. In: Tarantino et al. (eds) Proceedings of the advanced experimental unsaturated soil mechanics, EXPERUS 2005. Balkema Publishers, pp 15–22
Padilla JM, Perera YY, Houston WN, Perez N, Fredlund DG (2006) Quantification of air diffusion through high air-entry cerfamic disks. In: Miller GA, Zapata CE, Houston SL, Fredlund DG (eds) Unsaturated soils 2006, GSP No. 147, vol 2. Am Soc of Civ Eng, pp. 1852–1863
Power KC (2005) Suction and compressibility characteristics of an unsaturated till. M.Sc. thesis. University of Ottawa, 229 pp
Richards LA (1928) The usefulness of capillary potential to soil moisture and plant investigators. J Agric Res 37:719–742
Richards LA (1931) Capillary conduction of liquids though porous medium. J Phys 1:318–333
Romano N, Hopmans JW, Dane JH (2002) Suction table. In: Dane JH, Topp GC (eds) Methods of soil analysis––part 4––physical methods, Soil Sci Soc of Am, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Romero E. Facio JA, Lloret A, Gens A, Alonso EE (1997) A new suction and temperature controlled triaxial apparatus. In: Proceedings 14th international conference on soil mechanics and foundation engineering. Balkema, Hamburg, Rotterdam, pp 185–188
Romero E (1999) Characterisation and thermo-hydromechanial behavior of unsaturated Boom clay: an experimental study. Ph.D. thesis. Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
Romero E (2001) Controlled-suction techniques. In: Gehling WYY, Schnaid F (eds) Proceedings 4o Simposio Brasilerio de Solos Nao Saturadoes, ABMS, Porto Alege, pp 533–542
Sharma RS, Mohamed MHA (2003) An experimental investigation of LNAPL migration in an unsaturated/saturated sand. J Eng Geol 70/3–4:305–313
Toll DG (1990) A framework for unsaturated soil behaviour. Géotechnique 40(1):31–44
Tarantino A, Tombalato S (2005) Coupling hydraulic and mechanical behavior in unsaturated compacted clay. Géotechnique 55(4):307–317
Vanapalli SK, Fredlund DG, Pufahl DE, Clifton AW (1996) Model for the prediction of shear strength with respect to soil suction. Can Geotech J 33(3):379–392
Vanapalli SK, Fredlund DG, Pufahl DE (1999) Influence of soil structure and stress history on the soil-water characteristics of a compacted till. Géotechnique 49(2):143–159
Vanapalli SK, Garga VK, Infante Sedano JA (2005) Determination of the shear strength of unsaturated soils using the modified ring shear apparatus. In: International symposium on advanced experimental unsaturated soil mechanics, Trento, Italy, pp 125–130
Villar MV, Romero E. Buenfil C, Lloret A, Martin PW (2005) The application of the axis translation technique to the triaxial testing of unsaturated soils. In: Proceedings of the international conference on problematic soils, 25–27 May 2005, vol 1. Eastern Mediterranean University Press, pp 87–94
Wheeler SJ, Sivakumar V (1995) An elasto-plastic critical state framework for unsaturated soil. Géotechnique 45(1):35–53
Wheeler SJ, Sharma RS, Buisson MSR (2003) Coupling of hydraulic hysterisis and stress–strain behaviour in unsaturated soils. Géotechnique 53(1):41–54
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vanapalli, S.K., Nicotera, M.V., Sharma, R.S. (2008). Axis Translation and Negative Water Column Techniques for Suction Control. In: Tarantino, A., Romero, E., Cui, YJ. (eds) Laboratory and Field Testing of Unsaturated Soils. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8819-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8819-3_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-8818-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-8819-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)