Response to discussion on 'Effects of different drying rates on shrinkage characteristics of a residual soil and soil mixtures' by Mamert Mbonimpa, Michel Aubertin, Bruno Bussiere [Engineering Geology 107/3-4 (2009) 172-173]

摘要

The Authors would like to thank the discussers for their keen interest in the paper. The objective of this study was to investigate the shrinkage characteristics of residual soil and mixtures of residual soil and fine sand under different drying rates. In this case, gravimetric water content and void ratio variations during drying process leading to shrinkage condition are the main focus of the study. Therefore, gravimetric water content was measured periodically during both soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) and shrinkage tests. At any point during the shrinkage test, gravimetric water content and void ratio of soil correspond to the same matric suction. Although matric suction was not measured during the shrinkage test, the magnitude of matric suction during the shrinkage test could be determined from the measured gravimetric water content during the shrinkage test and the relationship between gravimetric water content and matric suction as obtained from the SWCC test. As a result, the measured void ratio during the shrinkage test could then be related to matric suction in order to provide total volume change characteristics of soil during shrinkage.