Static Compression of Loess Soil and its Effect on the Permeability Changes

The relation between Soil compression degree and the permeability changes during static compression process is one of the important factors for understanding hydro mechanical soil behavior. In this research such relationship has been closely studied. Three soil samples have been selected from loess soil (wind deposits) that extended widely in Golestan province, north eastern Iran. In first step, a test apparatus must be design to measure the soil compression degree and permeability value simultaneously. The designed apparatus is able to set high porosity soil sample in a test cell, measurement static compression force, compression degree and the value of permeability at different stages of soil compression process. In addition, soil structure can be observed during the test through a camera attached to the test chamber. The results show that soil type and primary structure affect soil compression behavior. Result of Permeability tests of loess soil shows that there is logarithmic relation between void ratio and permeability and its general form of experimental relation is proposed in this research.