A Direct Tensile Strength Testing Method for Unsaturated Geomaterials
Nahlawi, H
Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

Chakrabarti, S
Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

Kodikara, J
Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, PO Box 60, Clayton, Australia 3800

(Received 15 October 2002; accepted 12 January 2004)

Abstract
The current paper presents a new method for testing direct tensile strength of unsaturated geomaterials, guided by a method developed for concrete testing (Hannant et al. 1999). The developed equipment is used for measurement of direct tensile strength of unsaturated reactive basaltic clay soils and crushed rocks stabilized with cementitious additives. The tensile characteristics of soils were tested at water contents in excess of liquid limit and those close to optimum water content. Stabilized crushed rocks were tested at early and cured states after mixing. Full stress-strain characteristics were measured with the aid of precision transducers and electronic data acquisition. The equipment is capable of measuring tensile strengths of soil slurries (about 1 kPa), as well as cement stabilized crushed rocks (up to about 1 MPa).

Keywords:
clay, cracking, geomaterials, stabilized crushed rock, tensile strength

Paper ID: GTJ11767
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ11767

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Author Nahlawi, H Affiliation Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia Author Chakrabarti, S Affiliation Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia Author Kodikara, J Affiliation Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, PO Box 60, Clayton, Australia 3800 Author Nahlawi H, Chakrabarti S, Kodikara J Title A Direct Tensile Strength Testing Method for Unsaturated Geomaterials Symposium , Committee on