Kg. Sutterer et al., POLYMER IMPREGNATION TO ASSIST UNDISTURBED SAMPLING OF COHESIONLESS SOILS, Journal of geotechnical engineering, 122(3), 1996, pp. 209-215
Agarose, a derivative of the natural polymer, agar, is proposed as an
impregnate to stabilize the in-situ structure of cohesionless soils be
fore sampling. The gel solution is injected into the in-situ voids aft
er heating the soil. Sampling is performed using conventional sampling
techniques and gel removal is achieved in the laboratory test device
by reheating the specimen and flushing out the agarose with warm water
. The process of heating, impregnation with agarose, cooling, reheatin
g, and agarose removal was found to have no significant effect on the
cyclic mobility of two contractive Ottawa sands. The technology shows
promise for an accurate estimate of the in-situ void ratio and for an
economic undisturbed sampling of cohesionless soils.