First saturation and resaturation of high capacity tensiometers with 1.5 MPa high air entry value (HAEV) ceramic filters

J. Mendes, D. Gallipoli, D.G. Toll, A. Tarantino

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution book

5 Citations (Scopus)
53 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

High Capacity Tensiometers, or HCTs, are sensors that can measure negative pore water pressures (soil suctions) between -1.5 and -2 MPa. To achieve such measured values, HCTs first need to be fully saturated by water. For the first saturation of an initially dry HCT, the most common procedure involves application of vacuum followed by forced flooding by pressurised water. Instead, for the resaturation of a HCT that has cavitated (and is therefore still water flooded), only application of water pressure is necessary. Typically, the procedures for the first saturation and resaturation of HCTs can last days or weeks, which hinders adoption of these devices by the geotechnical industry. In this paper, faster procedures are presented for both first saturation and resaturation of HCTs built with 1.5 MPa air entry value filters. The duration of the first saturation can be reduced to less than 24 hours if high vacuum is first applied to the ceramic filter followed by water pressurisation at about twice the air entry value of the filter. Even more, resaturation of a cavitated HCT can be achieved in less than 10 minutes by simple water pressurisation of the ceramic filter. This is however true only if the HCT is not left to dry out to the atmosphere completely and is submerged in water just after cavitation.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPanAm Unsaturated Soils 2017
Subtitle of host publicationFundamentals
EditorsLaureano R. Hoyos, John S. McCartney, Sandra L. Houston, William J. Likos
Place of PublicationReston, Virginia
PublisherAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Pages514-522
Number of pages9
ISBN (Print)9780784481684
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jun 2018
Event2nd Pan-American Conference on Unsaturated Soils: Fundamentals - Dallas, United States
Duration: 12 Nov 201715 Nov 2017

Conference

Conference2nd Pan-American Conference on Unsaturated Soils
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDallas
Period12/11/1715/11/17

Keywords

  • high capacity tensiometers
  • HCT
  • saturation
  • resaturation
  • air entry value filters

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