• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.25-34
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• 2008

A new hybrid oedometer cell is designed and manufactured to investigate a behavior of soft soils by using elastic and electromagnetic waves during consolidation test. Bender elements, which generate and detect shear waves, are placed in the top cap and the bottom plate and mounted on the oedometer wall. Double wedge type electrical resistance probe, which measures local void ratio change, is positioned onto the top cap of the oedometer cell. The bender elements and the electrical resistance probe are anchored into a nylon set screw with epoxy resin. The nylon set screw with epoxy resin minimizes directly transmited elastic waves through the oedometer cell due to impedence mismatch and allows for easy replacement of defected bender elements and electrical resistance probe. Primary consolidation time can be estimated from the slope of electrical resistance versus log time curve and the evolution of shear wave velocity. The shear wave velocity can be used to assess inherent anisotropy when disturbance effects are minimized because particle alignment affects the shear wave velocity. The void ratios evaluated by the electrical resistance probe are similar to those by the settlement during consolidation. This study suggests that the shear wave velocity and the electrical resistance can provide complementary imformations to understand consolidation characteristics such as primary consolidation, anisotropy, and void ratio.