Visualization of 3-D soil deformation during cone penetration using transparent soil

本研究的主要目的是开发一种最先进的光学系统，可以非侵入式测量三维（3-D）的内部土壤变形使用透明的土壤。透明土壤由无定形二氧化硅和具有相同折射率的孔隙流体组成。它表现出类似于天然土壤的强度和变形行为，并已被许多研究人员用于各种岩土工程研究。本研究的目标有三个方面：1）开发一个三维变形测量系统; 2）更好地了解锥贯入过程中土壤变形的发展; 3）使用透明土壤推进土壤-结构相互作用建模。最终目标是应用开发的系统来了解土体的基本行为。

The main objective of this research is to develop a state-of-the-art optical system that can non-intrusively measure three-dimensional (3-D) internal soil deformation using transparent soil. Transparent soil is made of amorphous silica with a pore fluid having the same refractive index. It exhibits strength and deformation behaviour similar to natural soil and has been used by many researchers in various geotechnical studies. The objectives of this research are threefold: 1) to develop a 3-D deformation measurement system; 2) to better understand the development of soil deformation during cone penetration; and 3) to advance soil-structure interaction modelling using transparent soil. The ultimate goal is to apply the developed system to understand fundamental behaviour of the soil mass.