Sensor System for In-Situ Soil Stress Analysis
Abstract
The goal of this investigation is to develop a sensor system capable of measuring 3D In-Situ 0-200 PSI principal stresses in soil resulting from vehicle-terrain interactions. Emphasis is to he given to lateral loads and methods of sensor emplacements that cause minimum disturbance to the surrounding soil. Three prototype 3D sensors were designed and constructed during Phase I and Phase I Option and tested in mock-geological media under controlled uni-directional loading environment, sigma(sub x). They produced highly-encouraging results of measurements of the three states of stress to which they were exposed to. Two types of sensor designs were investigated. They were the solid-coupled and the fluid-coupled arrangements. Of all the three sensor designs evaluated, the symmetrical fluid-coupled arrangement was found to yield the most promising results for their long-term application to Phase II. Indeed, fluid-coupled stress sensors are by design inherently immune to shear stress effects and have been found to produce the most accurate lateral loads sigma(sub y) and sigma(sub z) when tested in isotropic mock geological media. It is anticipated that the symmetrical fluid-coupled arrangement will meet all requirements set by the Array for this investigation and that many practical applications will follow.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA398646
Entities
People
- Jacques A. Charest