I've recently joined the list and this note is to say who Iam, what I've
been doing and also to ask for help in my research.
For 25 years I was involved in materials testing on large construction
projects, mainly motorways and trunk roads in the UK but also a couple of
runways and a power station. This obviously meant a great deal of
involvement in the sampling and testing of soils and granular materials for
compliance with specification (as well as testing concrete and bituminous
mixtures). Latterly I was employed as Senior Materials Engineer on a bypass
in Sussex and a major trunk road upgrade in London.
After 25 years out there "doing it" I have returned to Academia and am
carrying out a Ph.D. research project in soils at Southampton Institute.
The title of my research is "The Determination of the Plastic Limit of
Cohesive Soils Using Fall Cones", a subject which has occupied many notable
people over several decades. I have been looking primarily at shear
strength and cone penetration together with clay content and clay
mineralogy.
I need help with some data and also some samples, please, if anyone out
there can help, and also, in the new year, some interested parties with
soils laboratories to carry out an hour long trial test.
Regarding data, I would be interested to hear from anyone who could supply
me with recent data showing a range of plastic limit (thread rolling
method) test results produced by several technicians on sub samples from
the same bulk sample i.e. an assessment exercise on the reproducibility of
the plastic limit test. I would not need to know details of participating
bodies and the data would be used only for my research.
The samples I have tested to date have a bias in the CI and the CH bands
which I need to redress. Could anyone please supply me with samples of
clay, clay/silt which would fall into the CL, CV, CE, bands or any silts
which would plot below the 'A' line n the BS 5930:1981 plasticity chart?
Each of these samples/ sub-samples would need to be only of the order of
500g to 700g. Again, I would not need to know sources/locations and the
samples would be used only in my research. I would come and collect if
possible.
I would also be pleased to hear from any volunteers who would be interested
in taking part in next years trial test programme. All participants in the
research would be fully acknowledged.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Mike Downing
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