Development of a Climate-Controlled Chamber: Measurement and Characterization of the Clay Response
Development of a Climate-Controlled Chamber: Measurement and Characterization of the Clay Response
Changes in average ambient temperature and relative humidity can impact the stability of geostructures such as slopes and earth retaining systems. The sensitivity of these systems to such changes depends on the soil response which often can be difficult to measure and characterize. This study presents the design and development of a new climate-controlled chamber at the University of Colorado Boulder. The performance of the closed-loop control systems is first discussed. Following this, the measurement and interpretation of the soil response are presented. Attention is paid to the instrumentation of the soil during the model preparation (e.g., from a slurry to a consolidated deposit using a hydraulic press) through to the observed response to controlled changes in the ambient conditions. Direct and inferred measurements of the pore pressures, temperature, shear strength, relative humidity, and water content are considered. The instrumentation setup demonstrates how complex thermo-hydro-mechanical responses of fine-grained soils can be measured and linked to the ambient conditions, laying the groundwork for future centrifuge studies investigating the stability of geostructures in changing environments.
Mohd Sheob; Sarah Aldawood; S. S. C. Madabhushi
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Session 1: New facilities, new equipment, and measuring techniques
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-141