Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth: American Society of Civil Engineers: Transactions, Paper No. 1174, Volume LXX, December 1910 — John Shaqi
Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth: American Society of Civil Engineers: Transactions, Paper No. 1174, Volume LXX, December 1910Meem, J. C.
Science
Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth: American Society of Civil Engineers: Transactions, Paper No. 1174, Volume LXX, December 1910
Meem, J. C.
Civil engineering -- Periodicals; Soil mechanics
While the apparatus would have to be designed and built on a much larger
scale in order to measure accurately the pressures due to sands and
earths of varying characteristics, it appears to be conclusive in
showing the principle, and near enough to the theoretical value to be
taken for practical purposes in designing structures against water
pressures when buried in sand or earth.
It should be carefully noted that the friction of the water through
sand, which is always a large factor in subaqueous construction, is
virtually eliminated here, as the water pressure has to be transmitted
only some 6 or 8 in. to actuate the base of the piston, whereas in a
tunnel only half submerged this distance might be as many feet, and
would be a considerable factor.
It should be noted also that although the area subject to pressure is
diminished, the pressure on the area remaining corresponds to the full
hydrostatic head, as would be shown by the pressure on an air gauge
required to hold back the water, except, of course, as it may be
diminished more or less by friction.
The writer understands that experiments of a similar nature and with
similar apparatus have been tried on clays and peats with results
considerably higher; that is, in one case, there was a pressure of 40
lb. before the piston started to move.
The following is given, in part, as an analysis and explanation of the
above experiments and notes:
It is well known that if lead be placed in a hydraulic press and
subjected to a sufficient pressure it will exhibit properties somewhat
similar to soft clay or quicksand under pressure. It will flow out of an
orifice or more than one orifice at the same pressure. This is due to
the fact that practically voids do not exist and that the pressure is so
great, compared with the molecular cohesion, that the latter is
virtually nullified. It is also theoretically true that solid stone
under infinitely high pressure may be liquefied. If in the cylinder of a
hydraulic press there be put a certain quantity of cobblestones, leaving
a clearance between the top of the stone and the piston, and if this
space, together with the voids, be filled with water and subjected to a
great pressure, the sides or the walls of the cylinder are acted on by
two pressures, one almost negligible, where they are in contact with the
stone, restraining the tendency of the stone to roll or slide outward,
and the other due to the pressure of the water over the area against
which there is no contact of stone. That this area of contact should be
deducted from the pressure area can be clearly shown by assuming another
cylinder with cross-sticks jammed into it, as shown in Fig. 10. A glance
at this figure will show that there is no aqueous pressure on the walls
of the cylinder with which the ends of the sticks come in contact and
the loss of the pressure against the walls due to this is equal to the
least sectional area of the stick or tube either at the point of contact
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