Sains Malaysiana 46(10)(2017): 1959–1969

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2017-4610-35

 

The Influences of Basic Physical Properties of Clayey Silt and Silty Sand on Its Laboratory Electrical Resistivity Value in Loose and Dense Conditions

(Pengaruh Sifat Fizikal Asas Kelodak Lempung dan Pasir Berkelodak pada Nilai Kerintangan Elektrik Makmal dalam Keadaan Longgar dan Padat)

 

MOHD HAZREEK ZAINAL ABIDIN^1*, ROSLI SAAD², DEVAPRIYA CHITRAL WIJEYESEKERA¹, FAUZIAH AHMAD³, MOHAMAD FAIZAL TAJUL BAHARUDDIN¹, SAIFUL AZHAR AHMAD TAJUDIN¹ & AZIMAN MADUN¹

 

 

¹Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia

 

²School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM Penang, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

 

³School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

 

Received: 12 March 2016/Accepted: 28 March 2017

 

ABSTRACT

Non-destructive test which refers to electrical resistivity method is recently popular in engineering, environmental, archaeological and mining studies. Based on the previous studies, the results on electrical resistivity interpretation were often debated due to lack of clarification and evidences in quantitative perspective. Traditionally, most of the previous result interpretations were depending on qualitative point of view which is risky to produce unreliable outcomes. In order to minimise those problems, this study has performed a laboratory experiment on soil box electrical resistivity test which was supported by an additional basic physical properties of soil test like particle size distribution test (d), moisture content test (w), density test (ρbulk) and Atterberg limit test (LL, PL and PI). The test was performed to establish a series of electrical resistivity value (ERV) with different quantity of water content for clayey silt and silty sand in loose and dense condition. Apparently, the soil resistivity value was different under loose (L) and dense (C) conditions with moisture content and density variations (silty SAND = ERVLoose: 600 - 7300 Ωm & ERVDense: 490 - 7900 Ωm while Clayey SILT = ERVLoose: 13 - 7700 Ωm & ERVDense: 14 - 8400 Ωm) due to several factors. Moreover, correlation of moisture content (w) and density (ρbulk) due to the ERV was established as follows; Silty SAND: w(L) = 638.8ρ-0.418, w(D) = 1397.1ρ-0.574, ρBulk(L) = 2.6188e-6E-05ρ, ρBulk(D) = 4.099ρ-0.07 while Clayey SILT: w(L) = 109.98ρ-0.268, w(D) = 121.88ρ-0.363, ρBulk(L) = -0.111ln(ρ) + 1.7605, ρBulk(D) = 2.5991ρ-0.037 with determination coefficients, R2 that varied from 0.5643 – 0.8927. This study was successfully demonstrated that the consistency of ERV was greatly influenced by the variation of soil basic physical properties (d, w, ρBulk, LL, PL and PI). Finally, the reliability of the ERV result interpretation can be enhanced due to its ability to produce a meaningful outcome based on supported data from basic geotechnical properties.

 

Keywords; Basic geotechnical properties; basic physical properties of soil; correlation of moisture content and density; laboratory electrical resistivity

 

ABSTRAK

Ujian tak musnah yang merujuk kepada kaedah kerintangan elektrik semakin banyak digunakan dalam kajian kejuruteraan, alam sekitar, arkeologi dan perlombongan. Berdasarkan kajian terdahulu, interpretasi keputusan kerintangan elektrik sering diperdebatkan disebabkan kekurangan bukti kajian dalam perspektif kuantitatif. Kebiasaannya interpretasi keputusan kerintangan elektrik banyak bergantung kepada perspektif kualitatif justeru berkemungkinan besar berisiko tinggi untuk menghasilkan keputusan yang salah. Maka, kajian ini telah menjalankan uji kaji makmal kerintangan elektrik tanah disokong oleh uji kaji sifat asas fizikal tanah seperti uji kaji taburan saiz zarah (d), kandungan lembapan (w), ketumpatan (ρbulk) dan had Atterberg (LL, PL dan PI). Uji kaji dijalankan untuk menghasilkan satu siri nilai kerintangan elektrik (ERV) berdasarkan kuantiti air yang berbeza terhadap lempung berkelodak dan kelodak berpasir dalam keadaan longgar dan juga mampat. Hasil keputusan menunjukkan nilai kerintangan tanah adalah berbeza dalam keadaan longgar (L) dan mampat (C) serta variasi kandungan air dan juga ketumpatan (pasir berkelodak = ERVLonggar: 600 - 7300 Ωm & ERVMampat: 490 - 7900 Ωm sementara lempung berkelodak = ERVLonggar: 13 - 7700 Ωm & ERVMampat: 14 - 8400 Ωm) disebabkan beberapa faktor. Selain daripada itu, korelasi kandungan lembapan (w) dan ketumpatan (ρbulk) terhadap ERV telah diterbitkan seperti berikut; pasir berkelodak: w(L) = 638.8ρ-0.418, w(D) = 1397.1ρ-0.574, ρBulk(L) = 2.6188e-6E-05ρ, ρBulk(D) = 4.099ρ-0.07 sementara pasir berkelodak: w(L) = 109.98ρ-0.268, w(D) = 121.88ρ-0.363, ρBulk(L) = -0.111ln(ρ) + 1.7605, ρBulk(D) = 2.5991ρ-0.037 dengan pekali dapatan, R2 bervariasi lingkungan 0.5643 - 0.8927. Kajian ini telah berjaya menunjukkan bahawa tahap kekonsistenan nilai ERV boleh dipengaruhi oleh variasi nilai sifat asas fizikal tanah (d, w, ρBulk, LL, PL dan PI). Maka, kebolehpercayaan terhadap interpretasi nilai ERV boleh dipertingkatkan kerana kemampuannya untuk menghasilkan keputusan bermakna berdasarkan sokongan data daripada sifat asas geoteknik.

 

Kata kunci: Kaedah kerintangan elektrik; kolerasi terhadap kandungan lembapan dan ketumpatan; sifat asas fizikal tanah; sifat asas geoteknik

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*Corresponding author; email: hazreek@uthm.edu.my