• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.521-529
• /
• 2022

This research work deals with the development of air pluviation method for preparing uniform sand specimens for conducting large scale laboratory testing. Simulating real field conditions and to get reliable results, air pluviation method is highly desirable. This paper presents a special technique called air pluviation or sand raining technique for achieving uniform relative density. The apparatus is accompanied by a hopper, shutters with different orifice sizes and numbers and set of sieves. Before using this apparatus, calibration curves are drawn for relative density against different height of fall (H) and shutter sizes. From these calibration curves, corresponding to the desired relative density of 60%, the shutter size of 13mm and height of fall of 457.2 mm, are selected and maintained throughout the pluviation process. The density obtained from the mobile pluviator is then verified using the Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) test where the soil is poured in the box using defined shutter size and fall height. The results obtained from the DCP test are averaged as 60±0.5 which was desirable. The mobile pluviator used in this research is also capable of obtaining relative densities up to 90%. The instrument is validated using experimental and numerical approach. In numerical study, Plaxis 3D software is used in which the soil mass is defined by 10-Node tetrahedral elements and 6-Node plate is used to simulate plate behavior in the validation phase. The results obtained from numerical approach were compared with that of experimental one which showed very close correlation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.10a
• /
• pp.1290-1295
• /
• 2008

The relative density of soil indicate loose and dense state of sand. Because sand is low compressibility, initial relative density of sand is important effect factor of compression and shear behavior. To measure exactly relative density, the exactly maximum and minimum void ratio was determinated by laboratory tests. Generally, vibrating table method is adapted for minimum void ratio(KS F 2345). However KS F 2345 is not consider the particle break during the vibrating table test. In this study, The minimum void ratio is compared with a method of Pluviation and Vibrating table test results using the K-7(crushed sand). It is concluded that the K-7 sand particles were crushed during the vibrating table test and vibrating table test is not a suitable test for a crushed sand $e_{min}$.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.131-139
• /
• 2018

The preparation of repeatable and uniformly reconstituted soil specimens up to the specified conditions is an essential requirement for the laboratory tests. In this study for large samples replication, the simultaneous usage of the traveling pluviation and curtain raining technique is used to develop a new method, called the curtain travelling pluviator (CTP). This simple and cost effective system is based on the air pluviation approach, whilst reducing the sample production time, can reproduce uniform samples with relative densities ranging from 25% to 96%. In order to investigate the resulting suitability and uniformity from the proposed method, a series of tests is performed. The effect of curtain traveling velocity, curtain width, drop height, and flow rate on the parameters of the sample is thoroughly investigated. Increase in the curtain velocity and drop height leads to the increase in relative density for the sand specimen. Increase in curtain width typically resulted in the reduction of relative density. Test results reveal that the terminal drop height for the sand specimen in this study is more than 500 mm. Relative density contour lines are presented that can be utilized in optimizing the drop height and curtain width parameters. Sample uniformity in the vertical and horizontal orientation is investigated through the sampling containers. Increasing relative density tends to result in the higher sample repeatability and uniformity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 1994.09a
• /
• pp.265-272
• /
• 1994

The relative density seems to be important as a factor of controlling the physical properties in the case of cohesionless soil ground as sand. Therefore, the study is more important about the method for reappearing the same relative density when the specimen of shearing test is to be produced or the model test of ground is to be made. In this study, the apparatus making use of the multiple sieving pluviation method - one of the reappearance of relative density - could be made. Using this apparatus, tests were practiced varying the factors such as the size of sieve mesh and the number of sieve, the amount of falling discharge, the falling height etc. about the standard sand in Jumunjin and Hadong sand. When laboratory test is performed by the cohensionless soil , it presents the method for reappearing of the relative density in field.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2009.09a
• /
• pp.1391-1398
• /
• 2009

The vibrating table method is widely used to estimate the minimum void ratio $e_{min}$. The existing method recommended in ASTM and KS F, however, can not consider the particle crushing during the vibrating table test. In this study, the particle cursing phenomenon was investigated by comparing vibrating table test with pluviation method using artificial sand (K-7). Vibrating table test for the artificial sand was confirmed which can crush of particle during the test. This study demonstrates that vibrating table test is an ineffective method to produce the more reliable $e_{min}$ of artificial sand.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2009.09a
• /
• pp.492-497
• /
• 2009

사질토의 최대/최소 밀도는 사질토 지반의 중요한 물리적 특성인 상대밀도를 결정할 때 이용된다. 그러나 최대/최소 밀도를 결정하는 방법에는 여러 가지가 있으며, 각 방법들에 따라 결정되는 값도 달라진다. 본 시험에서는 여러 시험방법의 최대/최소 밀도를 비교하는 연구를 수행하였다. 본 연구에서 적용된 최대밀도 결정방법은 ASTM, JIS, Simplified 방법 및 Air pluviation 방법이며, 최소밀도 결정방법은 ASTM, JIS 및 Slurry 방법이다. 시험모래는 부산지역에서 얻어진 3가지 모래시료를 이용하였다. 시험 결과, Air pluviation 방법이 가장 큰 최대 밀도값을 주었으며, JIS 방법이 가장 작은 최소 밀도를 나타내었다. 또한 최대밀도를 위하여 JIS 및 Simplified 방법으로 적용한 후 추가적인 다짐을 수행한 결과, Simplified 방법이 입자의 파괴나 입자간의 분리효과 없이 가장 큰 최대밀도를 나타내었다.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.79-90
• /
• 2012

Air pluviation method is widely adopted for preparation of large, uniform and repeatable sand beds of desired densities for laboratory studies to simulate in-situ conditions and obtain test results which are highly reliable. This paper presents details of a portable traveling pluviator recently developed for model sand bed preparation. The pluviator essentially consisted of a hopper, orifice plates for varying deposition intensity, combination of flexible and rigid tubes for smooth travel of material, and a set of diffuser sieves to obtain uniformity of pluviated sand bed. It was observed that sand beds of lower relative density can be achieved by controlling height of fall, whereas, denser sand beds could be obtained by controlling deposition intensity. Uniformity of pluviated sand beds was evaluated using cone penetration test and at lower relative densities minor variation in density was observed with depth. With increase in relative density of sand bed higher repeatability of uniform pluviation was achieved.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.91-99
• /
• 2008

The method to prepare the large cemented sand specimen for calibration chamber test by air-pluviation is investigated in this study. The uniformity of cemented specimen is evaluated by performing the CPTs, DMTs, and bender element tests in the calibration chamber. The sand particles, pre-wetted with 0.5% water content, are mixed with gypsum to provide the homogeneous coating of gypsum particles on the grain surface. It was shown that the pre-wetting of particle surface is effective to minimize the potential for segregation between sands and gypsum during air-pluviation. It was observed that the extreme void ratios ($e_{max}\;and\;e_{mix}$) of the mixture of pre-wetted sand and gypsum powder increase at lower gypsum content while those of the mixture of dry sand and gypsum decrease with increasing gypsum content. It was also shown from the test results that large cemented specimens reconstituted in calibration chamber by rainer system are quite uniform in vertical and horizontal directions.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2014

For economic and technical reasons, it is difficult to obtain high quality undisturbed cohesionless samples, hence most researchers rely on preparing remolded and reconstituted representative samples of sandy soils. In this study, moist tamping, air pluviation, and dry deposition methods were applied to make remolded samples at similar relative densities. A series of isotropically consolidated drained tests were conducted with accompanied by measured elastic wave velocities in order to evaluate a difference between sample preparation methods and relative densities. For the elastic wave velocity measurements, piezoelectric elements were installed on the top and bottom cap of the triaxial device. The results showed that soil behavior relies on sample preparation methods, and that the trend of shear wave velocity was the same with volumetric strain behavior.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.03a
• /
• pp.1422-1430
• /
• 2008

Cyclic simple shear test apparatus was used to investigate the dynamic response of liquefiable soils as reclamation material. The specimen were reclamation using simple air-pluviation method. The confining stress was applied the range of 100 kpa to 200 kpa. The resulted strain was in the range of $10^{-3}$ ~ 5 %. Based on these test results modulus reduction curve, damping curve and cyclic strength curve were developed. The developed curves were compared to those already available in literature. The obtained curves can be applied to FEM or equivalent linear analysis such as SHAKE for ground response analysis.