MRI: Development of Advanced Triaxial Testing Device for Comprehensive Characterization of Unsaturated and Expansive Soil Behaviors over a Wider Range of Soil Suction States

这项主要研究仪器（MRI）拨款为开发先进的三轴试验设备提供资金，用于在更广泛的土壤吸力状态下全面表征非饱和和膨胀土的行为。 地基中的膨胀土大多处于非饱和状态。目前的岩土表征使用简单的测试，不完全模拟非饱和状态下土壤的机械响应。这些土壤上的民用基础设施损坏和修复费用每年数百万美元，其中大部分是由于这种不良特性。凭借2010年NSF-MRI设备开发奖，由岩土工程，地球科学，德克萨斯大学阿灵顿分校（UTA）将致力于开发一种先进的三轴试验装置，该装置将用于在更广泛的土壤吸力状态下更好地表征非饱和土和膨胀土，领域 这种特性将导致更好的非饱和土壤上的民用基础设施设计。包括教师参与者和博士生以及本科生的研究团队将参与包括吸力控制能力的设计和开发以及测试操作的自动化任务。研究人员将通过对当地膨胀土进行表征研究，对该装置进行初始校准和验证。该项目的更广泛影响包括加强对非饱和膨胀土体积变化和强度行为的基本理解;为具有仪器和数据采集背景的熟练研究生和本科生提供教育培训;为参与科学和数学课程的高中教师开发教学模块;向K-12学生展示MRI工作，以提高他们对工程和科学的兴趣;并在主要会议和同行评审期刊上传播研究成果。

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant provides funding for the development of advanced triaxial testing device for comprehensive characterization of unsaturated and expansive soil behaviors over a wider range of soil suction states. Most of the expansive soils in the ground are in unsaturated state. Current geotechnical characterization uses simple tests that do not fully simulate mechanical response of soils in unsaturated state. Civil infrastructure damage and repair costs on these soils are millions of dollars annually and most of these are attributed to this poor characterization. With the 2010 NSF-MRI equipment development award, the interdisciplinary research team comprising of faculty from Geotechnical, Earth Sciences, and Electrical Engineering departments of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) will work towards the development of an advanced triaxial testing device which will be used to provide better characterization of unsaturated and expansive soils over a wider range of soil suction states transpired in the field. Such characterization would lead to a better civil infrastructure design on unsaturated soils. The research team including faculty participants and doctoral as well as undergraduate students will participate in tasks comprising of design and development of suction controlling capabilities and automation tasks of testing operations. Researchers will work on both initial calibration and then validation of the unit by performing characterization studies on local expansive soils.The broader impacts of this project include strengthening of fundamental understanding of volume change and strength behaviors of unsaturated expansive soils; offering educational training of skilled graduate and undergraduate students with instrumentation and data acquisition backgrounds; developing teaching modules for high school teachers involved in Science and Mathematics classes; presenting MRI work to K-12 students to enhance their interests in engineering and sciences; and disseminating of the research findings in major conferences and peer reviewed journals.