Project Title:
Project Brief213550512065
Project Title:
Shrink-swell behaviour and stabilisation of compacted Bringelly shale
Project No:
(Allocated by lab) Academic Supervisor: Chin Leo
Commence Date:
Spring 2022
Target Completion Date: Autumn 2023
Staff/Students Name: PhD, Masters, Honours (Specify): Mobile No. Email
Morsalin Chowdhury Master 20664262@student.westernsydney.edu.au
Axell Fernandez Gomez Honours 20012915@student.westernsydney.edu.au
Husnat Abbasi Honours 19577803@student.westernsydney.edu.au
Main Supervisor:
Chin Leo
Co- Supervisor(s)
Organisation:
Risk Assessment Prepared + Approved by Academic Supervisor (Copy Attached)?
287625226733500
Approved by Academic Supervisor: Date: 4/8/2022
Background
Expansive soils cover approximately one-fifth of Australias surface area and six out of eight of its largest cities. Due to the presence of expansive clay-water interactions in the smectite minerals, expansive soils can have high swelling potential, which is deleterious to overlying infrastructures such as road and airfield pavements and light structures. The swelling also leads to increased lateral pressures on retaining structures and basement walls, with attendant loss of strength that undermines foundational and slope stability. Expansive soils, mostly clays, therefore, pose a serious challenge to the development of infrastructures throughout Australia and indeed the world, including Western Sydney with a prevalence of expansive Bringelly shale.
The challenges for infrastructure construction on Bringelly shale are not only in finding sustainable ways to address the swelling potential of Bringelly shale but also in dealing with their large variability in Western Sydney. As a first step to address these challenges, this project will categorize the variability of Bringelly shale according to their swelling potential and characterisation of key geotechnical properties. Secondly, the efficacy of mechanical compaction as a sustainable means of suppressing the swelling potential of each category of swelling Bringelly shale will be investigated.
Test Samples
Preparation and sorting of Bringelly shale into boxes
Preparation of standard test samples in accordance with Australian Standards (mainly as per AS1289, AS1726:2017), see below.
2.1 Main Test Samples on Soils
2.1.1 Classification and Index Property Tests
Tests Equipment No of samples Instruction/guideline
Water Content determination Moisture can, oven 100+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Density-Void ratio determination Atterberg Limits test Cone penetrometer, Casagrande dish 30+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Plastic Limits test Glass plate 30+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Linear Shrinkage test Shrinkage mould 30+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Swelling test Particle Size Distribution Sieves, hydrometer 5+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Specific Gravity of soil solids Specific gravity bottle 5+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Standard Proctor Compaction Proctor mould, hammer 30+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Modified Proctor Compaction Proctor mould, hammer 30+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
2.1.2 Strength and Deformation Testing
Tests Equipment No of samples Instruction/guideline
UCS test One-Dimensional Consolidation test Density-Void ratio determination Swell test Oedometer, mould 30+ As per AS1289, AS1726:2017
Direct Shear test Residual shear test Ring shear test Triaxial UU test Triaxial CU test Triaxial CD test Other 2.1.3 Permeability Testing
Tests Equipment No of samples Instruction/guideline
Constant Head Testing Method Mariotte Bottle
Falling Head testing Method Density-Void ratio determination 3.1 Main Test Samples on Rocks
3.1.1 Classification and Index Property Tests
Tests Equipment No of samples Instruction/guideline
Unit Weight determination Slake Durability test Density-Void ratio determination Porosity test Ultrasonic Wave Velocity test 2.1.2 Strength and Deformation Testing
Tests Equipment No of samples Instruction/guideline
Point Load test Uniaxial Compression Strength test Splitting Tensile Strength Test (Brazilian) Direct Shear test Direct Shear Test Triaxial Compression Rock Strength Properties Tests
2.2 Auxiliary Test Samples
3.0 Testing of Samples
3.1 Testing of Main Samples
3.1.1 Test Setup
Standard classification and index property test as per Australian Standards (see Table 2.1.1). Only likely longer-term tests are the swelling test.
3.1.2 Pre and Post Test Measurements
3.1.3 Instrumentation
If digital potentiometer/LVDT and data logger are available to record the swelling of samples, this would greatly facilitate the conduct of the swelling tests.
Project support funding can be used to purchase a few potentiometers.
3.1.4 Test Plans
3.2 Auxiliary Test Sample Tests
4.0 Materials
5.0 Future Work
