A new isotropic cell for studying the thermo-mechanical behavior of unsaturated expansive clays

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel isotropic cell designed for studying the thermo-mechanical properties of unsaturated expansive clays, utilizing vapor equilibrium for suction control and a thermostat bath for temperature regulation.

Contribution

The paper presents a new isotropic cell with integrated suction and temperature control, enabling advanced study of clay behavior under combined thermo-mechanical conditions.

Findings

Good performance demonstrated in preliminary tests

Effective control of suction and temperature achieved

Potential for improved understanding of clay behavior

Abstract

This paper presents a new suction-temperature controlled isotropic cell that can be used to study the thermo-mechanical behavior of unsaturated expansive clays. The vapor equilibrium technique is used to control the soil suction; the temperature of the cell is controlled using a thermostat bath. The isotropic pressure is applied using a volume/pressure controller that is also used to monitor the volume change of soil specimen. Preliminary experimental results showed good performance of the cell.