DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL APPRAPUS |FOR LARGE DYNAMICAL CONSOLIDATION TEST WITH DRAIN

An experimental apparatus for large dynamical consolidation with drain is developed. It can be used to carry out the laboratory model test to consolidate the dredger fill. The apparatus includes soil container, lifting appliance, hammer rans, measuring and data acquisition units. The main characteristics of the equipment are: (1) It can realize both half-model and complete-model tests and can simulate multi-points rammer besides one-point rammer. (2) It can realize real-time observation of the vertical fractures in soil and the movements of measuring points. It also can take real-time measuring and data acquisition of pore press, displacement and active stress. (3)It can simulate the field construction quite well through automatic lifting and ramming. (4) Different consolidation methods such as tests with different ramming parameters, different thickness of consolidated soil, different drainage system etc can be modeled with the apparatus. The model test results can provide the best design parameters, i.e. the best parameters used in the field dynamic consolidation with drains to consolidate soft clay soil; (5)The equipment is very convenient to dismantle and combine. It can be used to simulate many situations such as slope, roadbed, retaining wall and landslide. Two model tests with different drainage systems have been carried out using the apparatus. The apparatus kept a good working state during the long test period of 6 months. 