Silty soils are a common occurrence and can exhibit low strengths, and minimal bearing capacity, causing widespread construction and performance problems. These soils are highly moisture-sensitive and their stability is greatly influenced by the degree of densification achieved during compaction. The strength and stiffness of silty-subgrade soils is also greatly reduced when moisture infiltrates the compacted soil during post construction period. This investigation concentrated on further developing the description of the pumping problem for soils with high silt content and the development of guidelines for stabilization of problematic silts. Using documented field experiences of the DOTD districts, the study presents a testing program to investigate the nature of the problem, the character of the silt materials, and their performance with modifying/stabilizing agents. Seven representative silt soil samples were used in the laboratory program. The unique characteristics that identify a soil with a high potential to pump were determined with standard laboratory tests. The response and stability of the silts under compaction and loading with various moisture levels and compaction efforts was also tested. The susceptibility to pumping of the different samples was reviewed in terms of their physical characteristics. In addition to the silt content percentage, the plasticity character was noted as being significant. The potential for the modification/stabilization of the problem silt soils was also studied. The laboratory tests were selected with respect to construction needs and possible post construction conditions. A limited number of specific additives were proposed with consideration for their ability to dry the subgrade silts sufficiently to be compacted and with the strength to provide a "working table" for the construction of the base and pavement. The additives selected included hydrated lime, portland cement, and class c fly ash. A unitary set of guidelines for stabilizing problematic silts is proposed.

Entre os objetivos da engenharia geotécnica está a busca pelo entendimento e previsão do comportamento mecânico dos solos. Para isso, existem basicamente duas abordagens: ensaios de laboratório ou ensaios de campo. Em cada obra o Engenheiro Geotécnico deve julgar quais são os métodos e procedimentos mais indicados de investigação, que resultarão em parâmetros confiáveis de projeto. Os ensaios de campo foram desenvolvidos baseados nos solos argilosos e arenosos em virtude dos comportamentos distintamente bem definidos, especialmente em termos de drenagem. O mesmo ocorre para o ensaio DMT, cuja execução e interpretação são influenciadas pelo tipo de solo e pelas condições de drenagem. O grande desafio, neste caso, está na interpretação dos ensaios em solos cuja solicitação ocorre sob condição de drenagem parcial, como nos casos de barragens de rejeito de mineração, ou em depósitos naturais de solos siltosos, onde esta condição pode levar a erros de interpretação. No DMT, a ocorrência de drenagem parcial influencia tanto na etapa de cravação da lâmina, quanto na etapa de expansão da membrana. Neste sentido, o foco deste trabalho está no problema da dissipação de poropressão durante a expansão da membrana, apresentando procedimentos especiais para realização do ensaio DMT. Serão apresentados dois métodos de interpretação de resultados, visando compensar os erros de interpretação causados pela dissipação parcial de poropressão: Método de Dissipação Completa e, Método de Dissipação Incompleta. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido baseado na realização de ensaios de campo, com uma campanha executada em solo brasileiro argiloso, que serviu de base à interpretação, sendo complementada por 6 ensaios realizados em diferentes sítios na Itália. Os resultados dos ensaios realizados pelo Método de Dissipação Completa foram interpretados através de duas abordagens: Método da Igualdade (analítico) e Método Simplificado. Enquanto a interpretação do Método de Dissipação Incompleta é permitida apenas através de procedimento simplificado. A análise paramétrica apresentou comportamentos similares entre ambas abordagens, demonstrando que a taxa de dissipação é o fator que mais influencia nos resultados. Ao final, os métodos foram aplicados e validados em diferentes locais, apresentando resultados adequados e compatíveis com o comportamento previamente definido através de outros ensaios. / Among the geotechnical engineering goals are the understanding and prediction of soil behavior. For this, there are basically two approaches: laboratory or in situ tests. In this case, the Geotechnical Engineer must judge the most appropriate investigation methods and procedures that will result in reliable design parameters. In situ tests were developed for clay and sand given to the fact that the behavior of these soils is well-defined and drainage conditions are properly controlled. The DMT is no exception, with test and interpretation methods influenced by the drainage conditions. The challenge resides in the interpretation of tests carried out in soils under partial-drainage conditions, such as tailings dams or natural deposits of silty soils, where partial-drainage conditions are taking place around the DMT blade leading to errors on its interpretation. The partial drainage condition influences both the DMT blade penetration phase and the membrane expansion phase. In this sense, this work focus on the problem of the pore pressure dissipation taking place simultaneously to membrane expansion. A non-standard procedure is proposed to sounding the DMT in silts that include two methods for DMT interpretation in order to compensate the errors caused by the partial pore pressure dissipation: Method of Complete Dissipation Curve and Method of Incomplete Dissipation Curve. This work was developed based on tests carried out in Brazilian clay soils to develop the proposed approach that was validated latter in non-standard tests carried out in different Italian sites. The results of the tests performed by the complete dissipation method were interpreted through two approaches: Equality Method (analytical) and Simplified Method, while the interpretation of the incomplete dissipation method is possible only through simplified procedure. The parametric analysis showed that these approaches yield similar results, demonstrating that the dissipation rate is the most important factor in the analysis. At the end, the methods were applied and validated at different sites, showing results that are compatible to previously defined behavior of the soils.

Entre os objetivos da engenharia geotécnica está a busca pelo entendimento e previsão do comportamento mecânico dos solos. Para isso, existem basicamente duas abordagens: ensaios de laboratório ou ensaios de campo. Em cada obra o Engenheiro Geotécnico deve julgar quais são os métodos e procedimentos mais indicados de investigação, que resultarão em parâmetros confiáveis de projeto. Os ensaios de campo foram desenvolvidos baseados nos solos argilosos e arenosos em virtude dos comportamentos distintamente bem definidos, especialmente em termos de drenagem. O mesmo ocorre para o ensaio DMT, cuja execução e interpretação são influenciadas pelo tipo de solo e pelas condições de drenagem. O grande desafio, neste caso, está na interpretação dos ensaios em solos cuja solicitação ocorre sob condição de drenagem parcial, como nos casos de barragens de rejeito de mineração, ou em depósitos naturais de solos siltosos, onde esta condição pode levar a erros de interpretação. No DMT, a ocorrência de drenagem parcial influencia tanto na etapa de cravação da lâmina, quanto na etapa de expansão da membrana. Neste sentido, o foco deste trabalho está no problema da dissipação de poropressão durante a expansão da membrana, apresentando procedimentos especiais para realização do ensaio DMT. Serão apresentados dois métodos de interpretação de resultados, visando compensar os erros de interpretação causados pela dissipação parcial de poropressão: Método de Dissipação Completa e, Método de Dissipação Incompleta. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido baseado na realização de ensaios de campo, com uma campanha executada em solo brasileiro argiloso, que serviu de base à interpretação, sendo complementada por 6 ensaios realizados em diferentes sítios na Itália. Os resultados dos ensaios realizados pelo Método de Dissipação Completa foram interpretados através de duas abordagens: Método da Igualdade (analítico) e Método Simplificado. Enquanto a interpretação do Método de Dissipação Incompleta é permitida apenas através de procedimento simplificado. A análise paramétrica apresentou comportamentos similares entre ambas abordagens, demonstrando que a taxa de dissipação é o fator que mais influencia nos resultados. Ao final, os métodos foram aplicados e validados em diferentes locais, apresentando resultados adequados e compatíveis com o comportamento previamente definido através de outros ensaios. / Among the geotechnical engineering goals are the understanding and prediction of soil behavior. For this, there are basically two approaches: laboratory or in situ tests. In this case, the Geotechnical Engineer must judge the most appropriate investigation methods and procedures that will result in reliable design parameters. In situ tests were developed for clay and sand given to the fact that the behavior of these soils is well-defined and drainage conditions are properly controlled. The DMT is no exception, with test and interpretation methods influenced by the drainage conditions. The challenge resides in the interpretation of tests carried out in soils under partial-drainage conditions, such as tailings dams or natural deposits of silty soils, where partial-drainage conditions are taking place around the DMT blade leading to errors on its interpretation. The partial drainage condition influences both the DMT blade penetration phase and the membrane expansion phase. In this sense, this work focus on the problem of the pore pressure dissipation taking place simultaneously to membrane expansion. A non-standard procedure is proposed to sounding the DMT in silts that include two methods for DMT interpretation in order to compensate the errors caused by the partial pore pressure dissipation: Method of Complete Dissipation Curve and Method of Incomplete Dissipation Curve. This work was developed based on tests carried out in Brazilian clay soils to develop the proposed approach that was validated latter in non-standard tests carried out in different Italian sites. The results of the tests performed by the complete dissipation method were interpreted through two approaches: Equality Method (analytical) and Simplified Method, while the interpretation of the incomplete dissipation method is possible only through simplified procedure. The parametric analysis showed that these approaches yield similar results, demonstrating that the dissipation rate is the most important factor in the analysis. At the end, the methods were applied and validated at different sites, showing results that are compatible to previously defined behavior of the soils.

Entre os objetivos da engenharia geotécnica está a busca pelo entendimento e previsão do comportamento mecânico dos solos. Para isso, existem basicamente duas abordagens: ensaios de laboratório ou ensaios de campo. Em cada obra o Engenheiro Geotécnico deve julgar quais são os métodos e procedimentos mais indicados de investigação, que resultarão em parâmetros confiáveis de projeto. Os ensaios de campo foram desenvolvidos baseados nos solos argilosos e arenosos em virtude dos comportamentos distintamente bem definidos, especialmente em termos de drenagem. O mesmo ocorre para o ensaio DMT, cuja execução e interpretação são influenciadas pelo tipo de solo e pelas condições de drenagem. O grande desafio, neste caso, está na interpretação dos ensaios em solos cuja solicitação ocorre sob condição de drenagem parcial, como nos casos de barragens de rejeito de mineração, ou em depósitos naturais de solos siltosos, onde esta condição pode levar a erros de interpretação. No DMT, a ocorrência de drenagem parcial influencia tanto na etapa de cravação da lâmina, quanto na etapa de expansão da membrana. Neste sentido, o foco deste trabalho está no problema da dissipação de poropressão durante a expansão da membrana, apresentando procedimentos especiais para realização do ensaio DMT. Serão apresentados dois métodos de interpretação de resultados, visando compensar os erros de interpretação causados pela dissipação parcial de poropressão: Método de Dissipação Completa e, Método de Dissipação Incompleta. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido baseado na realização de ensaios de campo, com uma campanha executada em solo brasileiro argiloso, que serviu de base à interpretação, sendo complementada por 6 ensaios realizados em diferentes sítios na Itália. Os resultados dos ensaios realizados pelo Método de Dissipação Completa foram interpretados através de duas abordagens: Método da Igualdade (analítico) e Método Simplificado. Enquanto a interpretação do Método de Dissipação Incompleta é permitida apenas através de procedimento simplificado. A análise paramétrica apresentou comportamentos similares entre ambas abordagens, demonstrando que a taxa de dissipação é o fator que mais influencia nos resultados. Ao final, os métodos foram aplicados e validados em diferentes locais, apresentando resultados adequados e compatíveis com o comportamento previamente definido através de outros ensaios. / Among the geotechnical engineering goals are the understanding and prediction of soil behavior. For this, there are basically two approaches: laboratory or in situ tests. In this case, the Geotechnical Engineer must judge the most appropriate investigation methods and procedures that will result in reliable design parameters. In situ tests were developed for clay and sand given to the fact that the behavior of these soils is well-defined and drainage conditions are properly controlled. The DMT is no exception, with test and interpretation methods influenced by the drainage conditions. The challenge resides in the interpretation of tests carried out in soils under partial-drainage conditions, such as tailings dams or natural deposits of silty soils, where partial-drainage conditions are taking place around the DMT blade leading to errors on its interpretation. The partial drainage condition influences both the DMT blade penetration phase and the membrane expansion phase. In this sense, this work focus on the problem of the pore pressure dissipation taking place simultaneously to membrane expansion. A non-standard procedure is proposed to sounding the DMT in silts that include two methods for DMT interpretation in order to compensate the errors caused by the partial pore pressure dissipation: Method of Complete Dissipation Curve and Method of Incomplete Dissipation Curve. This work was developed based on tests carried out in Brazilian clay soils to develop the proposed approach that was validated latter in non-standard tests carried out in different Italian sites. The results of the tests performed by the complete dissipation method were interpreted through two approaches: Equality Method (analytical) and Simplified Method, while the interpretation of the incomplete dissipation method is possible only through simplified procedure. The parametric analysis showed that these approaches yield similar results, demonstrating that the dissipation rate is the most important factor in the analysis. At the end, the methods were applied and validated at different sites, showing results that are compatible to previously defined behavior of the soils.

South Africa, as one of the world’s largest gold producing countries, also generates large amounts of tailings. These tailings are disposed in tailings dams, which pose great threat to the environment in the case of failure, in particular, liquefaction. In order to evaluate the potential of liquefaction, the void ratio of the tailings is required and is often impossible to obtain. Seismic methods allow an indirect method to estimate void ratio of in situ deposits of which tailings are examples of. Currently, the use of seismic methods to estimate void ratio of tailings rely on shear wave velocity – void ratio relationships derived for sands. It is thus uncertain whether this relationship holds for gold tailings, which is classified as a sandy silt or silt. The measurement of shear wave velocity of tailings is done in the laboratory using a triaxial apparatus modified to accommodate bender element. Shear wave velocities are measured using wide square pulses and continuous sinusoidal waves. The results show that there is a near linear relationship between void ratio and shear wave velocity normalized against effective stress. The position of this relationship lies below the previously published results for sands. Shear wave velocity of gold tailings is more sensitive to changes in effective stress than changes in void ratio or over-consolidation ratio. Furthermore, using phase sensitive detection of continuous waves, we can conclude that shear wave velocity of gold tailings is also frequency dependent. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Civil Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted

From the Proceedings of the 1972 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - May 5-6, 1972, Prescott, Arizona / Sewage effluent for irrigation is well established. This study determines the capacity of selective turfgrass-soil systems to purify municipal sewage effluent and to measure the degree of utilization of nitrogen in the effluent by turfgrass. Chlorinated secondarily treated sewage effluent from the city of Tucson was applied to turfgrass grown on sandy loam, silt and loam, under three levels of irrigation under laboratory conditions of duplicate pots. Each pot had 2 suction probes to estimate soil moisture tensions and to allow soil water sampling. The study operated from September to March, 1972, for 30 weeks. Purification efficiency, nitrogen utilization and percent recharge were calculated. Turfgrass can be irrigated with sewage effluent at common rates without hazard of nitrogen pollution to groundwater. Purification efficiency exceeded 90 percent for all irrigation levels on sandy loam and silt. Nitrogen utilization was greater over sandy loam. Turfgrass-soil systems can utilize nitrogen and purify waste water.

A series of static lateral load tests were conducted on a group of fifteen piles arranged in a 3x5 pattern. The piles were placed at a center-to-center spacing of 3.92 pile diameters. A single isolated pile was also tested for comparison to the group response. The subsurface profile consisted of cohesive layers of soft to medium consistency underlain by interbedded layers of sands and fine-grained soils. The piles were instrumented to measure pile-head deflection, rotation, and load, as well as strain versus pile depth.