THE PARAFFIN METHOD--TRIAXIAL TESTING WITHOUT A RUBBER MEMBRANE

A method is described in which the triaxial cell is filled with a liquid (paraffin) immiscible with the pore-water of the sample; the contact surface between the cell fluid and the soil sample could then sustain a certain maximum pressure without permitting the cell fluid to enter the pores of the soil sample. The numerical value of this maximum pressure is related to the pore size of the soil under testing, the interfacial tension between the pore-water and the cell fluid, and the contact angle between the cell fluid and the water-mineral system. This method which necessitates modification of the pedestal and top piece of the triaxial equipment, causes no changes in the techniques hitherto used in measuring cell pressure, load, deformation and pore-pressure.