ABSTRACT
To achieve the objective of this study, a new triaxial cell was designed which incorporates the vapor equilibrium technique to control high suction magnitudes, and a temperature control system to apply elevated temperatures. The suction control system proposed by Likos & Lu (2003) is particularly suited for this application. They developed a mass flow control system with relative humidity feedback to mix water-saturated and dry air to a known proportion and pass it through the soil specimen. Further, the triaxial system developed by Uchaipichat & Khalili (2009), which incorporated a resistance heater, cell fluid circulation, a glass cell, and digital image analysis to track changes in volume of specimens under various temperature and suction ranges. This paper presents the unique calibration issues involved in the cell deformation response and the suction control system.
