ESR1 Piotr Osinski

Research project description

 

 

Unsaturated Soil Mechanics, Laboratory Testing

 

 

Fellow: ESR 1: Piotr Osinski

Supervisor: Dr Xia Li, Prof. Hai-Sui Yu

Institution: Faculty of Engineering, Materials, Manufacturing & Structures Division, The      University of Nottingham, UK

 

 

 

The research project is aimed at determining the influence of drying and wetting cycles (reflecting climate change scenarios) on changes in soil suction that will affect the shear strength parameters required for slope stability analyses. For such purpose the number of triaxial test for unsaturated soils is proposed to be tested. The laboratory triaxial system is required to be equipped with High Air Entry Value Porous Disc applying Axial Transition method of suction control. The soil samples will be subjected to drying and wetting cycles by placing them in the environmental chamber. It will allow applying required Relative Humidity, temperature, and moisture. The samples subjected to different number of cycles will be tested in triaxial cell, with ranges of suction controlled during the measurement. The test will allow determination of shear strength parameters for changing environmental conditions. The mechanical characteristics such as cohesion and internal friction angle will be established and then will be applied to numerical models used for slope stability analyses. The proposal for the research is designed to answer the question or at least to give a clearer understanding on how the changes of atmospheric conditions influences shear strengths of the soil that is crucial for stability analyses of earth structures.