Testing Methods for Hydro-Mechanical Characteristics of Unsaturated Soils Subjected to One-Dimensional Freeze-Thaw Action

This paper proposes new testing methods for evaluating the effects of freeze-thaw action on the deformation-strength characteristics and the water retention-permeability characteristics of granular materials under unsaturated conditions. A triaxial apparatus and a permeability apparatus for unsaturated soils, with cooling systems to control the temperature of soil specimens and use the pressure membrane method instead of the pressure plate method, were newly developed in order to examine the hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils subjected to the freeze-thaw sequence, as experienced by in-situ soils in cold regions. Results indicate that the proposed testing methods with these newly developed test apparatuses are highly useful in the evaluation of the effect of freeze-thaw action on the hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated granular materials and in the reduction of total testing time.