Triaxial tests on deformation characteristics of transparent glass sand

Based on the transparent soil materials and digital imaging technology, the model tests on geotextile can be visualized. Transparent glass sand is one kind of new transparent synthetic soil materials, which is composed by glass sand, twelve alkane and white mineral oil mixture (1∶4). This new material has good transparency, and its properties are similar to those of natural soil. Hence, it can be used in visualization model test technique. Based on the consolidated undrained triaxial compression tests and consolidated drained triaxial compression tests, the deformation properties of the transparent glass sand with different size ranges are studied. For comparative analysis, the deformation properties of standard sand are also obtained. Then stress-strain curves and pore pressure-strain curves of the soil are measured. The laboratory test results show that the stress-strain relation is transited from strain hardening to strain softening, and the pore pressure coefficient and deformation modulus decrease with the increase of the relative density. The peak of the stress-strain curve of the transparent glass sand is relatively slower compared with that of the standard sand.