Near Surface Laboratory Testing Protocol Development
Abstract
Geotechnical laboratory testing focuses on the behavior of soils subjected to confining pressures in excess of those experienced within the near-surface environment (the upper 1 m of the soil profile). Such standardized protocols have set-up stresses, e.g., seating loads and stabilization vacuum pressures, in excess of the failure strength observed at low confinement. Therefore, effective stress principles are often used to infer low confinement behavior within a laboratory setting. Neither the standardized protocols nor the use of effective stress principles encapsulate the near-surface environment or the true behavior. The purpose of this technical report is to provide laboratory-testing protocols for physical experimentation within the near-surface environment. For standardized testing equipment, e.g., triaxial and simple shear devices, existing protocols have been modified. New testing protocols have been designed for experimental equipment, e.g., the Ultrasonic Near-Surface Inundation Testing device (UNIT) or for unconfined drained self-supporting testing (UD). The protocols presented herein are for commercial and prototype equipment used in the ERDC Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) and are readily adaptable to other equipment manufacturers' devices.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1063083
Entities
People
- Amy L. Cunningham
- Katherine E. Winters
- Mark D. Antwine
- Oliver-denzil S. Taylor
- Wesley R. Rowland
- Woodman W. Berry