Effect of partial saturation on the compressibility of crushable sands

Abstract

An experimental laboratory study of the effect of moisture on compressibility and creep in two crushable sands is presented, by means of oedometric tests in partially saturated samples. The material humidity is controlled by the vapor control technique, in order to cover a wide range of suction from 0 to 340 MPa. The results show that, as the suction decreases (i.e.humidity increases), both compressibility and creep deformations increase, due to the higher amount of particle breakage. This phenomenon has applications in degradation of granular materials under significant changes of humidity, as well as deformations by creep in geotechnical works, such as rockfill dams, railway ballast, among other cases.