Assessment of rapid, non-nuclear compaction control devices

dc.contributor.advisorRathje, Ellen M.en
dc.creatorTobin, Ruth Elisheva, 1981-en
dc.date.accessioned2016-05-13T14:18:56Z
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-22T22:29:52Z
dc.date.available2016-05-13T14:18:56Z
dc.date.available2018-01-22T22:29:52Z
dc.date.issued2006-05en
dc.description.abstractTo ensure that compacted backfill performs as expected, compaction control is performed in the field by measuring the dry unit weight and moisture content of the compacted fill. The nuclear gauge is the most common device used to make these measurements because it is very rapid and thus does not delay the construction schedule. However, due to increased regulatory restrictions and growing concerns over the safety of using a device with a nuclear source, there is an increased effort to find a possible alternative to the nuclear gauge for compaction control. In this study, four devices were evaluated as potential replacements for the nuclear gauge. These devices include the Clegg Impact Hammer, the PANDA Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, the Moisture Density Indicator (MDI), and the Electrical Density Gauge (EDG). All the devices underwent laboratory testing conducted in large-scale soil specimens of poorly graded sand compacted to a target dry unit weight and moisture content. The MDI and EDG also underwent field testing at several different construction sites in central Texas. All testing includes comparisons between the results from the replacement devices and traditional compaction control devices. Analysis of the data revealed that, at this time, none of the four devices can be recommended to replace the nuclear gauge because they do not always accurately assess the compaction of the soil.en
dc.description.departmentCivil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineeringen
dc.format.mediumelectronicen
dc.identifierdoi:10.15781/T2K82Ven
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/35449en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.relation.ispartofUT Electronic Theses and Dissertationsen
dc.rightsCopyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.en
dc.rights.restrictionRestricteden
dc.subjectCompaction controlen
dc.subjectNuclear gaugeen
dc.subjectNon-nuclear compaction control devicesen
dc.titleAssessment of rapid, non-nuclear compaction control devicesen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.genreThesisen

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