Saturate a soil sample in a cyclic triaxial test
To saturate a soil sample in a cyclic triaxial test, you can gradually increase the back pressure until the pore air dissolves into the pore water. This process is similar to the procedure used in static triaxial tests. Steps : 1. Insert two saturated porous discs at the top and bottom of the sample 2. Gradually increase the back pressure 3. Perform saturation checks by elevating the confining pressure 4. Calculate the B-value, which is the change in pore water pressure divided by the change in confining pressure 5. If the B-value is greater than 0.95, the soil is considered fully saturated Additional tips : 1. Use distilled and de-aired water for flushing 2. Apply cell pressure and back pressure in constant increments 3. Allow the sample to saturate for 10–20 minutes after each increment 4. Check the saturation value after each increment 5. The cell pressure should always be higher than the back pressure 6. The cyclic triaxial test subjects a cylindrical soil sample t...