Experimental Study Effect of the Shaliness on Physical Properties of Soil

Abstract

This final course work aimed to evaluate the effect of shaliness on the physical properties of clay soils, with emphasis on the properties of porous media. For this, we used a gas poropermeameter based on the pressure variation on confining chamber, in order to obtain values of absolute permeability and effective porosity on unconsolidated sediments (soils). The values for pore volume are obtained by Boyle Mariotte law, which relates the variation of pressure and volume of an ideal gas at constant temperature, while permeability values are obtained by Darcy's law. It is also emphasized the development of a method for analysis of unconsolidated sediments with the equipment since it was designed to consolidated sediments. This includes sample enveloping and studies for determination of ideal pressures and flows to be used. Measured values for permeability and porosity were used in estimating other physical parameter of the sediments, the specific surface of the grains, through the Kozeny-Carman equation, whose constant was considered equal to 5, since this is the value recommended for flow in porous unconsolidated sediments. Results show that this equipment can be used successfully for measurements of physical pore properties of soils if samples are properly prepared.