Abstract

For reliable deformation measurements at small strains, calibration of the entire testing system in addition to routine transducer calibrations are very important. Seven synthetic specimens of varying stiffness (4.3 to 1500 MPa) were constructed and tested to measure the compliance of testing equipment and to improve the measurement setups. Testing equipment used in this study included resonant column device (RC), torsional shear device (TS), free-free resonant column device (FF-RC), cyclic resilient modulus testing device (MR) and the static compression testing device. Moduli of synthetic specimens determined by various testing equipment after improvement were almost identical if considered the effect of loading frequency, indicating that all of the testing devices were well calibrated over a wide stiffness range. To verify the effectiveness of calibration on soil testing, two subgrade soils were tested, and moduli determined by various tests compared well. Use of synthetic calibration specimens shows potential for calibrating testing equipment and determining its capability and limitation of small-strain deformation measurements.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Keywords:
calibration, cyclic test, dynamic test, modulus, frequency effect, small-strain measurement, synthetic specimen, system compliance

References

1.
AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structure
,
1986
,
AASHTO
,
Washington, DC
.
Resilient Modulus of Unbounded Granular Base/Subbase Materials and Subgrade Soils
, SHRP Protocal P-46 AASHTO, T294-92I,
1992
,
AASHTO
,
Washington, DC
.
2.
Burland
,
J. B.
 and
Symes
,
M. J.
,
1982
, “
A Simple Axial Displacement Gauge for Use in the Triaxial Apparatus
,”
Geotechnique
 0016-8505, Vol.
32
, No.
1
, pp.
62
-
65
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
3.
Burland
,
J. B.
,
1989
, “
Ninth Lauritis Bjerrum Memorial Lecture: ‘Small is Beautiful’—the Stiffness of Soils at Small Strains
,”
Canadian Geotechnical Journal
 0008-3674, Vol.
26
, pp.
499
-
516
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
4.
Drnevich
,
V. P.
,
1972
, “
Undrained Cyclic Shear of Saturated Sand
,”
Journal of Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division
, ASCE, Vol.
98
, No.
SM8
, August, pp.
807
-
825
.
5.
Drnevich
,
V. P.
,
1985
, “
Recent Developments in Resonant Column Testing
,”
Richart Commemoration Lectures
,
ASCE Annual Meeting
,
Detroit, MI
.
ASCE
,
New York
, pp.
79
-
107
.
6.
Goto
,
S.
,
Tatsuoka
,
F.
,
Shibuya
,
S.
, and
Sato
,
T.
,
1991
, “
A Simple for Local Small Strain Measurements in the Laboratory
,”
Soil and Foundation
, Vol.
31
, No.
1
, pp.
169
-
180
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
7.
Jardine
,
R. J.
,
Potts
,
D. M.
,
Fourie
,
A. B.
, and
Burland
,
J. B.
,
1986
, “
Studies of the Influence of Non-Linear Stress-Strain Characteristics in Soil-Structure Interaction
,”
Geotechnique
 0016-8505, Vol.
36
, No.
3
, pp.
337
-
396
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
8.
Kim
,
D. S.
,
1991
, “
Deformational Characteristics of Soils at Small to Intermediate Strains from Cyclic Tests
,” Ph.D. dissertation,
The University of Texas at Austin
.
9.
Kim
,
D. S.
 and
Drabkin
,
S.
,
1994
, “
Accuracy Improvement of External Resilient Modulus Measurements Using Specimen Grouting to End Platens
,” in
Transportation Research Record 1462
,
TRB, National Research Council
,
Washington, DC
, pp.
65
-
71
.
10.
Kim
,
D. S.
 and
Stokoe
,
K. H.
 II,
1994
, “
Torsional Motion Monitoring System for Small-Strain(10−5 to 10−3%) Soil Testing
,”
Geotechnical Testing Journal
 0149-6115, GTJODJ, Vol.
17
, No.
1
, pp.
17
-
26
.
11.
Pezo
,
R. F.
,
1991
, “
Development of Reliable Resilient Modulus Test for Subgrade and Subbase Materials for Use in Routine Pavement Design
,” Ph.D. Dissertation,
The University of Texas at Austin
.
12.
Saada
,
A. S.
, “
Hollow Cylinder Torsional Devices: Their Advantages and Limitations
,”
Advanced Triaxial Testing of Soil and Rock
, ASTM STP 977,
Donaghe
 
Robert T.
,
Chaney
 
Ronald C.
, and
Silver
 
Marshall L.
, Eds.,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
Philadelphia, PA
,
1988
, pp.
766
-
759
.
13.
Stokoe
,
K. H.
 II,
Kim
,
D. S.
, and
Andrus
,
R.
,
1990
, “
Development of Synthetic Specimens for Calibration and Evaluation of MR Equipment
,”
Transportation Research Record 1278
,
TRB, National Research Council
,
Washington, DC
, pp.
63
-
71
.
14.
Sun
,
C. W.
,
1993
, “
Stiffness and Damping from the Frequency Response of a Free-Free Specimen
,” Masters Thesis GT93-8,
University of Texas at Austin
.
15.
Tatsuoka
,
F.
 and
Shibuya
,
S.
,
1992
, “
Deformation Characteristics of Soils and Rocks from Field and Laboratory Tests
,” Key Note Lecture for Session No. 1,
The 9th Asian Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering
,
Bangkok
, pp.
101
-
170
.
16.
Vaghela
,
J. G.
 and
Stokoe
,
K. H.
 II,
1995
, “
Small-Strain Dynamic Properties of Dry Sand from the Free-Free Resonant Column
,”
Geotechnical Engineering Report
GT95-1,
Geotechnical Engineering Center, University of Texas at Austin
.
This content is only available via PDF.
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced or copied, in whole or in part, in any printed, mechanical, electronic, film, or other distribution and storage media, without the written consent of ASTM International.
You do not currently have access to this content.