Dynamic Properties of Transparent Soil

Abstract

Silica gel, a typical desiccant widely used in the industry to absorb moisture, has been used as transparent soil in geotechnical research. It is a porous inert colloid form of silica made in different sizes in a beaded or angular shape. The research presented in this paper aims to investigate the dynamic properties of silica gel ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm using a resonant column device. The purpose of this study is to examine the similarity of dynamic behaviors between silica gel and sand so that the silica gel mixed with appropriate pore fluids can be used to simulate a soil-foundation structure system in shaking table tests. Silica gel was tested under different confining pressures (50 kPa, 100kPa, 200kPa, and 400kPa) at two different void ratios representing loose and dense states, respectively. The test results show that the dynamic properties of silica gel are different from those of sand. A possible reason for this is the highly yielding behavior of silica gel.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Fluid Flow; Soil Properties; Silica

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2007 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2007

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