Influence of Humidity on Yield Stress Determination by Slump Test of Slip-Prone Clayey Soils and Their Relation with the Chemical Properties

Arturo F. Méndez-Sánchez, Ana M. Paniagua-Mercado, Karen E. Nieto-Zepeda, Leonor Pérez-Trejo, Elvia Diaz Valdés, Concepción Mejía García

Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Edif. 9 Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Col. Lindavista, C. P. 07738, México D. F., México..

DOI: 10.4236/ampc.2012.24B028                

Abstract

In this work, the yield stress evaluation as a function of water content for slip-prone clayey soils is studied in order to understand how yield stress decreases as water content increases, and their relation with the chemical properties. The clayey soil samples were taken from the region of Teziutlán-Puebla-Mexico. Yield stress was calculated using the slump test in cylindrical geometry. Results show three zones. The first one shows an exponential decrement on yield stress due to lower water content in accord with clayey soils with high content of illita, followed by a second region where yield stress decreases dramatically at a certain critical water concentration, and the third one where yield stress dependence is not well-defined since the clayey soil flow is seen. Finally, it is discussed how yield stress variation due to the water increment influences the landslide risk increment.

 

Keywords

Clayey Soil; Yield Stress; Slump Test; Microstructure; Illita

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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