A new prototype cell to study electrical and geo-mechanical properties of peaty soils

The paper presents a new prototype cell, which has been realized for simultaneous monitoring of the electrical and geo-mechanical properties of peat. The apparatus is a modified hydraulic oedometer implemented with pore-pressure control, back-pressure facility and two electrode porous plates for multi-frequency complex conductivity measurements during compression of the sample. Technical issues are addressed and solutions are reported together with the calibration of both the electrical and mechanical system. A combined consolidation–conductivity test on a peat sample is presented. The complex conductivity response can be interpreted in terms of a change in soil properties (such as porosity and structure of the sample) during the consolidation. Preliminary results make this apparatus a suitable tool to improve the characterization of peat deposits in terms of hydraulic and mechanical properties.

Research Highlights
► Combined conductivity–compression tests allow for studying changes in soil properties.
► Changes in porosity during consolidation affects the peat conductivity response.
► The polarization of peat depends on structural changes of the peat sample.