AOR - Research Area 2 - Earth Sciences - Earth Materials and Processes Program: Multi-scale assessment of the thermo-mechanical behavior of saturated clays subjected to freeze-heat cycles
Abstract
The technical objective of the proposed effort is to identify the effects of thermal cycling on microscale clay fabric and determine the effect of clay fabric alternation on the macroscale properties of clay. The proposed effort seeks to achieve the stated technical objective using a multiscale experimental approach. Three common microstructural clay fabric components will be characterized using (1) a thermal gravimetric analyzer to identify changes in free and adsorbed water in the clay after freeze-heat cycles, (2) scanning electron microscopy to detect changes in the pore properties and to determine pore-size distribution and total pore volume, and (3) x-ray diffraction to identify the impact of freeze-heat cycles on the preferred orientation of clay particles. Additionally, experiments will be performed to characterize the impact of freeze-heat cycles on the macroscale behavior of clays including hydraulic conductivity tests, consolidation tests, and shear strength tests. Finally, observed alternations in the macroscale responses of the clay will be investigated using numerical simulations that account for the respective microscale behavior.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1610336
Entities
People
- Sherif Abdelaziz
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Research Foundation for the State University of New York
- United States Army