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The Effect of Water Content on Axial Strain in a Loam Soil under Tension and Compression¹

ABSTRACT

A method is described for measuring axial strain in a remolded loam soil under unconfined axial loading in both compression and tension. Using this method the stress-strain relationships for the loam soil were determined for soil-water contents ranging from 2% to 12% by weight.

The maximum tensile stress in a soil beam stressed to failure in a modulus of rupture test was computed from the measured stress-strain relationships. This computed fiber stress was approximately 10% greater than the measured tensile strength.

The strain energy required to rupture this soil in axial tension, taken as the area under the stress-strain curve, was shown to increase by only 20% for a sixfold increase in tensile strength and to be almost proportionately related to the energy required to produce a fixed degree of soil breakup in a drop-shatter test.

Key Words: soil breakup • tensile strain energy • and flexure strength

¹ Contribution from C.S.I.R.O., Division of Soils, Adelaide, Australia, and the Corn Belt Branch, Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, USDA. Appreciation is expressed to the Australian Wheat Industry Research Council and to the Australian-American Education Foundation for their financial support. Presented before Div. S-1, Soil Science Society of America, Aug. 22, 1966, at Stillwater, Okla.

² Soil Physicists, C.S.I.R.O., Division of Soils, Adelaide, Australia, and Research Soil Scientist, USDA, Ames, Iowa.

Received for publication November 28, 1966. Accepted for publication April 11, 1967.