El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / This article describes consolidated Direct Cut tests not drained in the laboratory, carried out on samples of volcanic sand from Arequipa, Peru. The samples were tested for maximum dry density and optimal moisture content; Furthermore, they were reinforced with polypropylene fibers and cement. The samples were reinforced with 0.5% cement with respect to the dry weight of the sample soil and tested at 3 days. The added polypropylene fiber has dimensions of 48 mm wide with 1.2855 mm long and 0.3325 mm thick, and they were used in different percentages regarding the dry weight of the soil sample (0.25% -0.75% -1.00% -1.25%). The results of the tests indicated that the addition of polypropylene fibers together with the cement increases the resistance to cut proportionally to the amount of fiber up to 1% of fiber, this being the best result obtained, decreasing the resistance as the percentage of polypropylene fiber.

There are more than three thousand landfills in the United States, in which approximately 55% (1998, U. S. EPA 1999) of the MSW generated in the US is buried. The majority of the landfills are conventional, but in the last two decades new types of landfills, called leachate recycle and bioreactor landfills, have been designed and tested as an enhanced environment for biochemical degradation of municipal solid waste. All the landfills are regulated under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The shortage of time and money has limited the amount of research done on waste stability analysis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of lignocelluloses in biodegradation and the secondary settlement based on dry density and typical landfill evaluating parameters. Both parts of the study samples were collected and analyzed from eleven landfills. In the first part of the study, bioreactor landfills were found more effective, faster in the degradation of VS and cellulose as compared to conventional landfills. The time required for stabilization is reduced to about 1/3 that of conventional landfills. The lignocelluloses degradation that occurs in these landfills is happening in two phases. In the initial, rapid degradation phase, the primary degradation substrate is cellulose. In the second phase, after cellulose degraded to 15-20% of the waste, degradation of the remaining cellulose along with lignin and the hemicelluloses takes place. The start of lignin and hemicellulose degradation results in an increase in the biochemical methane potential (BMP). In the second part of the study, the addition of moisture to the landfills presented a contentious issue. Moisture is encouraged for MSW refuse degradation, but for settlement it reduces compressibility. In leachate recycle landfills, the dry density is higher than in conventional landfills; therefore there is more available room for further MSW load. The increase can reach up to 40 percent in total volume. / Master of Science

This paper describes how water content reflectometers (WCRs) were analyzed to develop a calibration equation. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) technique is the most prevalent method in in-situ moisture monitoring; and WCR is a type of low frequency TDR sensors, which is sensitive to soil type. Developing soil-specific calibration and investigating different environmental effects on WCR calibration is important. This study focused on investigation of the soil dry density and temperature effects on WCR calibration in RMA soil. Two series of tests to develop soil-specific calibration with dry density and temperature offset were conducted. Results from testing program showed that WCR response was positive related to volumetric water content, dry density, and temperature. Equations were developed to illustrate the response-density-temperature-moisture relation. Application to a field site was also presented to illustrate the difference in volumetric water contents obtained by using manufacturer method and the calibration procedure drawn in this paper. / text

It is essential to properly monitor in-situ soil compaction properties during most earthwork construction projects. Traditional in-situ soil compaction monitoring methods are often limited in their application. As a result, new methods are being developed to more accurately measure in-situ compaction parameters. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is one such method. Relying on the propagation of an electromagnetic wave through the soil sample, TDR can be used to measure both in-situ moisture content as well as soil dry density. Although TDR is relatively new to the field of geotechnical engineering, it has previously been implemented in other fields with success. Researchers at Purdue University have made several advances to further incorporate the use of TDR technology into the field of geotechnical engineering and as a result an innovative TDR measurement system has been developed for compaction control monitoring. The method was standardized in the form of ASTM D 6780 in 2002. Further advancements led to an improved method referred to as the Purdue one-step TDR method. Research has indicated that the ASTM TDR method is sufficiently accurate for application in compaction monitoring applications. A comparison between the ASTM TDR method and traditional methods was carried out to evaluate the accuracy of the TDR method to traditional methods. To further expand the application of the TDR method, a correlation was developed between the TDR spike driving process with the in-situ CBR test. A comprehensive review of previous research was conducted to examine recent advancements leading to the improved Purdue one-step method. A study was also performed to evaluate the effect of variable pore fluid conductivity on the calibration of the Purdue one-step method.

Traditional in-situ soil compaction monitoring methods are often limited in their application, thus quality control of compacted fills and roadway embankments remains a challenging problem. As a result, new methods are being developed to more accurately measure in-situ compaction parameters. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is one such method. Several advances have been made over the past few years to further the use of TDR technology in water content and density measurement of compacted fill. The one-step method relies on the measurement of the apparent dielectric constant in conjunction with the bulk electrical conductivity, and correlates them through two soil-specific constants, f and g. The two measurements, together with other soil specific constants, are then used to back calculate the water content and density in a single step. However, questions remain regarding the accuracy and bias of TDR measurements in relation to other "established" in-situ procedures such as the nuclear gage and speedy moisture. Results from an experimental program to obtain calibration constants for typical sands used in roadway construction are presented. A number of side-by-side tests are performed to compare the measurements obtained using the TDR one-step method to those obtained form other methods. Conducting such side-by-side tests is a critical step in the progress and eventual widespread usage of the one-step method. In addition, all the results are compared against an independent measurement of the in-place density from a slurry-replacement method. The objective of the independent measurement is to provide a baseline for accurate and unbiased evaluation of TDR and other technologies.

In the construction of highways, airports, and other structures, the compaction of soils is needed to improve its strength. In 1933 Proctor developed a laboratory compaction test to determine the maximum dry density of compacted soils, which can be used for specifications of field compaction. The Compaction of soils is influenced by many factors, the most common are the moisture content, the soil type and the applied compaction energy. The objective of this research is the analysis of the maximum dry density values based on the soil classification and characterization. The method of choice in the determination of the maximum dry density from different soils was the Standard Proctor Test following the procedure for the standard Proctor test as is explained in ASTM Test Designation D-698. From this investigation, the maximum dry density of eight types of sands was obtained, the sands were classified by using the Unified Soil Classification System. The influence on the maximum dry density of the type of sands, type of fines, amount of fines and distribution of the grain size was determined, followed by a sensitivity analysis that measured the influence of these parameters on the obtained maximum dry density. The research revealed some correlations between the maximum dry density of soils with the type of fines, the fines content and the Uniformity Coefficient. These correlations were measured and some particular behavioral trends were encountered and analyzed. It was found that well-graded sands have higher maximum dry density than poorly graded when the soils have the same fines content, also it was encountered that plastic fines tend to increase the maximum dry density.

Quarry fines are by-products of the aggregate extraction and productionprocesses. Because such fine material cannot be marketed, it becomes aburden for the aggregate industry, resulting in stockpiles of financiallyunexploited material. Even though previous research has been focused onminimizing the generation of quarry fines, far too little attention has beenpaid to maximizing their utilization instead. The aim of this thesis is toinvestigate whether 0/2 mm and 0/4 mm quarry fines can be utilized asalternative materials in the construction industry, specifically in theunbound layer of a road or as filling against a bridge. The methodologyconsisted of four laboratory tests that investigated the water content,particle size distribution and percentage of filler content, optimummoisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD) relationshipas well as bearing capacity of the materials. The results show that theamount of filler content (<0.063 mm) can significantly impact thematerial’s water-holding capacity as well as its compaction capabilities.After comparing the bearing capacity measurements to the technicalrequirements of the Swedish Transport Administration, it was found thatthe 0/2 mm fits the necessary requirements for use in the unbound layerof either a flexible or rigid pavement but not as filling against a bridge.Further research is needed to determine the material’s relationship towater absorption and resistance to freezing and thawing cycles, as it isdifficult to assess its suitability for road construction solely on theseresults; however, despite its limitations, the study provides some valuableinsights into the potential applications of quarry fines.

Expansive or swelling soils, exist in many part of the world, show excessive volume changes with increasing water content. As a result of this volume increase, expansive soils apply vertical and lateral pressures to the structures located or buried in these regions. Many researchs have been carried out on vertical swelling pressures helping to the engineers to design structures withstanding on these stresses. However, lateral swell behaviour of swelling soils have not been fully understood yet. Structures such as / basement walls, water tanks, canals, tunnels, underground conduits and swimming pools which will be built in expansive soils have to be designed to overcome the lateral swelling pressures as well as the other lateral pressures exerted by the soil. For this aim accurate and reliable methods are needed to predict the magnitude of lateral swelling pressures of expansive soils and to understand the lateral swelling behaviour of expansive soils. In this experimental study, the lateral swelling behaviour of an highly expansive clay is investigated using a modified thin wall oedometer which was developed in the METU Civil Engineering Department Soil Mechanics Laboratory earlier. Statically compacted samples were used in constant volume swell (CVS) tests to measure the magnitude of the lateral and vertical swelling pressures. To study the relationship between the lateral and vertical sweeling pressures, they were measured simultaneously. The samples having different initial water contents and different initial dry densities were used to study the effects of these variables on the vertical and the lateral swelling pressures. It is observed that both lateral and vertical pressures increases with increasing initial dry density and they decrease with increasing initial water content. Swell pressure ratio, the ratio of lateral swelling pressure to the vertical one, is increasing with increasing initial water content. Time needed to obtain the magnitude of maximum lateral and vertical pressures decreases with increasing initial water content and increases with increasing initial dry density.