Fall cone and compression tests on clay±gravel mixtures

Fall cone tests have been performed on mixtures of kaolin and fine gravel, from which both the variation of liquid limit with clay content and the link between undrained shear strength and water content for different clay contents have been determined. A sharp change in response is observed when the clay content falls below about 40%. One-dimensional compression tests have been performed in a hydraulic oedometer and in a consolidation tube: both devices gave similar results. Again a change in character of response is observed at clay contents below about 40%. For clay contents above about 35% it is the clay matrix alone which controls the mechanical behaviour of the mixture. The gravel only begins to influence the behaviour when the granular volume fraction reaches about 0·45. Nous avons fait des essais a la chute avec un cone sur des melanges de kaolin et de gravier fin, et de la, nous avons determine la variation de la limite liquide en fonction du contenu argileux et le lien entre resistance au cisaill...