MRPG: Geotechnical Parameters of Soil Using Electrical Sensor Technology

这项研究的主要目的是为电传感器技术在岩土工程中的应用开发一个概念验证。这项工作的重点将是全面的文献回顾和中试实验室实验。简单的电子传感器将被用来获得土壤样本的内部土壤特性。这些特性将使用由空间电阻率测量开发的三维断层图像以图形方式进行评估。在使用非常简单的传感器确定这项技术的概念验证后，将研究更复杂的电子传感器是否适用于岩土工程应用。这项研究将被用来加深对土壤电性和工程行为之间可能存在的独特关系的基本理解和调查。这项研究将建立电子传感器的应用和局限性的基线参考，随后可以推断出更多的实验室和现场应用。预计电子传感器将提供一种有效的手段来获取与土体的岩土特性和预期的工程特性有关的广泛质量数据，无论该土体是单个实验室样本还是更大的现场介质。电子传感器通常用于岩土工程和地球物理中，用于场地表征和土壤样品的一些宏观尺度表征(即整体孔隙度、饱和度和密度)。然而，只有少数研究人员将电阻用于土壤的微观表征来研究异质性效应(McCarter和Desmaze，1997；Abu-Hassanein等人，1996)。此外，这项研究的大部分内容都与评价水力流动特性有关。这项研究将进一步利用层析成像来研究非均质性效应，并将扩展电性土壤传感器知识库，以包括土壤的强度和变形行为。这项研究的重点是对影响土壤电学性质的因素及其测量进行实验研究，并将这些因素与行为反应联系起来。

The primary objective of this research is to develop a proof-of-concept for the application of electrical sensor technology in geotechnical engineering. The focus of this work will be a comprehensive literature review and pilot laboratory experimentation. Simple electrical sensors will be used to obtain the internal soil properties of a soil specimen. These properties will be evaluated graphically using a three-dimensional tomographic image developed from spatial electrical resistivity measurements. Upon establishing the proof-of-concept for this technology using very simple sensors, more sophisticated electrical sensors will be investigated with regards to suitability for geotechnical applications. This research will be used to develop a fundamental understanding and investigate possible unique relationships that exist between electrical properties of soils and engineering behavior. The research will establish a base-line reference of applications and limitations of electrical sensors, from which additional laboratory and in situ applications can later be extrapolated.It is anticipated that electrical sensors will provide an efficient means of acquiring a broad spectrum of quality data as pertaining to the geotechnical properties and the expected engineering behavior of a soil mass, whether the mass is an individual laboratory specimen or the larger in situ media. Electrical sensors are routinely used in geotechnical engineering and geophysics for site characterization and some macro-scale characterization of soil samples (i.e. bulk porosity, degree of saturation, and density). However, only a few researchers have used electrical resitivity for micro-scale characterization of soil to investigated heterogeneity effects (McCarter and Desmazes, 1997; Abu-Hassanein et al., 1996). In addition, most of this research pertains to evaluating hydraulic flow behavior. This research will further investigate heterogeneity effects by using tomography and will expand the electrical soil sensor knowledge base to include strength and deformation behavior of soils. The particular emphasis of this research is to perform an experimental study on the factors that affect the electrical properties of soils and their measurements and relate those factors to behavioral responses.