Measurement of the coefficient of permeability for a deformable unsaturated soil using a triaxial permeameter

Abstract

The development of a specially designed triaxial permeameter for the measurement of the coefficient of permeability of deformable unsaturated soils is presented in this paper. The triaxial permeameter makes it possible to directly measure the coefficient of permeability at various combinations of net normal stresses and matric suction values. The volume change of the soil specimen during the permeability measurement can also be monitored. The performance of the permeameter is demonstrated for a group of tests conducted on slurried specimens of a silty sand.Key words: unsaturated soil, coefficient of permeability, triaxial permeameter, volume change.