Background This research focuses on the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) and the soil it was built with. The completed research will help to fill the gap of knowledge about the susceptibility of such materia..
Background This research focuses on the Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) and the soil it was built with. The completed research will help to fill the gap of knowledge about the susceptibility of such materials to piping and erodibility. Methodology This research will consist of two experiments with the soil samples taken from the dike. The first test is the filter paper test for characterizing the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC). The curve describes the relationship between the matric suction and water content of unsaturated soils. This information is needed to analyze seepage, erosion, and volume change problems with the soil. The second experiment is the small scale piping model. This experiment is performed to correlate piping susceptibility with the SWCC. The piping model is being completed by the machine shop and should be ready in the upcoming weeks. Results At the time of writing this, data has been collected from the filter paper test, but has not been analyzed. Analysis will occur in the upcoming week as we discuss the data with our advising professor in this research. The piping model experiment will take place in the upcoming weeks as the model is still being built in the machine shop. Conclusion As our results have not been finalized, there are no conclusions to be made at this time.
