Effect of Salt Solutions on Compressibility of Bentonite

Abstract

The main intention of the thesis is to evaluate the effect of pore fluid composition and stress state on volume change behaviour of bentonite. In this study compressibility behaviour of several saturated bentonite specimens were studied. The initial water content chosen is greater than the liquid limit for the remoulded soils, referred to herein as the initially saturated soil. The bentonite specimens were inundated with distilled water, 0.5 M and 1.0 M NaCl solutions. Consolidation tests were conducted for the range of pressure varying between 10 kPa to 1250 kPa. The results show that with increase in concentration of NaCl salt solution change in void ratio is increasing. The compressibility behaviour is increasing with salt solution concentration. The observed results similar to that has been reported by other researchers for compacted bentonite specimens subjected to NaCl salt solutions.