Triaxial cell for nonisothermal shear strength of compacted silt under high suction magnitudes

This study introduces a new triaxial cell which was developed to measure the shear strength of unsaturated soils under elevated temperatures and high suction magnitudes. Suction control is implemented by circulating vapor through a soil specimen having an initially low degree of saturation. The relative humidity in the vapor is controlled using an automated humidity system which uses a probe in the bottom platen of the triaxial cell to partition wet and dry Nitrogen gas through the specimen. The temperature of the soil specimen is controlled using heating elements in the cell fluid. This paper also presents the experimental procedures used to calibrate the temperature effects on the deformation response of the cell and the suction control system under elevated temperatures. The results from this study indicate the versatility of this new device in measuring the shear strength and volume change of soils under high temperature and suction magnitudes.