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Particle loss and volume change on dissolution: experimental results and analysis of particle size and amount effects

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Abstract

Soil particles may be lost through dissolution, degradation or erosion. Regardless of the process of loss, there follows a change in soil structure both in terms of phase composition and grading. In this paper, the influence of size and amount of particle loss on phase composition at two stresses is investigated. The tests are performed on sand–salt mixtures, loaded in a modified permeation oedometer and subsequently dissolved. Changes in overall volume and void ratio are presented. Two significant observations about the volumetric consequences of particle loss can be made. First, overall volume changes are directly related to the amount of dissolved particles and to a lesser extent, the size of particle lost. Second, particle loss leads to an increase in void ratio; the magnitude of the increase is related to the amount of dissolved particles but appears not to be sensitive to either the size of particle lost or the pre-dissolution void ratio. Based on the observed response and a dissolution-induced void change parameter, the influence of different mechanisms of volume change is discussed. Tests were performed at two different vertical stresses with no discernible influence on void ratio change.

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Notes

  1. The constant void ratio condition depicts an amount of settlement induced by a solid volume loss and accompanying void volume change that leave the void ratio unchanged. Settlements that are less than the constant void ratio condition lead to void ratio increases and vice versa.

  2. This sieve stack allows the particle size distributions and the impact of mass loss to be defined in terms of grading entropy coordinates. Further information on the grading entropy concept can be found in Lőrincz et al. [9].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5DT, UK

    John McDougall, Darren Kelly & Daniel Barreto

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  1. John McDougall
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  2. Darren Kelly
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  3. Daniel Barreto
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Correspondence to John McDougall.

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McDougall, J., Kelly, D. & Barreto, D. Particle loss and volume change on dissolution: experimental results and analysis of particle size and amount effects. Acta Geotech. 8, 619–627 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0212-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0212-0

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