A STUDY ON THE USE OF HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT SOILS IN HIGHWAY FILLS - LABORATORY INVESTIGATION

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A LABORATORY INVESTIGATION ON THE USE OF HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT SOILS IN HIGHWAY FILLS. THOUGH THESE SOILS, WHICH ARE MOSTLY CLAYEY, MAY NOT BE COMPACTED INITIALLY TO A REQUIRED DENSITY AND THUS MEET THE STRENGTH AND SETTLEMENT REQUIREMENTS, IT WAS THOUGHT THAT CONSOLIDATION ALONG WITH THIXOTROPY MIGHT FINALLY PREVENT THEM FROM FAILING IN SHEAR AND UNDERGOING EXCESSIVE SETTLEMENTS. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY REVEAL THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT FACTS' /1/ UNDER THE GIVEN METHODS OF SAMPLE PREPARATION AND TESTING, THESE TWO CLAY-LIKE SOILS DO NOT EXHIBIT THIXOTROPIC BEHAVIOR, /2/ THE SHEAR STRENGTH INCREASES APPRECIABLY WITH THE INCREASE IN CONSOLIDATION PRESSURE, THE RATE OF INCREASE BEING MORE REMARKABLE AT LOW DENSITIES THAN AT HIGH DENSITIES, /3/ THE INITIAL DENSITY HAS A TREMENDOUS EFFECT ON SHEAR STRENGTH WHEN THE SOILS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO CONSOLIDATION; HOWEVER, ITS EFFECT ON STRENGTH DIMINISHES APPRECIABLY WHEN THE CONSOLIDATION PRESSURE INCREASES, AND /4/ UNDER HIGH CONSOLIDATION PRESSURES A GIVEN SOIL WITH WIDELY DIFFERENT INITIAL DENSITIES AND STRENGTHS WILL FINALLY ARRIVE AT SOME DENSITIES AND STRENGTHS WHICH ARE ONLY SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. /AUTHOR/