On 24 July, Dr Ashutosh Kumar will give a lecture on one of his current research topics:

Coupled impact of train-induced cyclic loading and environment-induced hydraulic loading on the performance of railway subgrade soil

We cordially invite you to this lecture and look forward to your participation.

Date: 24.07.2024 (Wednesday) at 13:00 o'clock

Room: L501/427

Abstract:

Compacted soils used as formation layers of railways continuously undergo water content and suction changes due to seasonal variations such as precipitation and drought. Such variations, together with the impact of cyclic traffic-induced loads, can alter the hydro-mechanical behavior of the soil, which in turn affects the performance. The lecture will present the use of a high-capacity tensiometer developed, capable of measuring pore-water pressure in both positive and negative ranges (suction) on the body of soil samples. The setup allowed continuous monitoring of suction at the mid-height of the unsaturated soil sample during cyclic triaxial testing while continuously measuring the volumetric deformations with the help of on-sample displacement transducers. The lecture will showcase how the obtained test result was successfully utilised for predicting the permanent deformations and resilient modulus of soil, indicating the potential capability of using the fundamentals of unsaturated soils for predicting the effects of drying and wetting cycles on the coupled soil water retention and cyclic response.