The present invention concerns a device and method for selectively or simultaneously measuring shear strength and pore water pressure of a soil in the field. The device includes a rod adapted to be at least partially inserted into the soil and rotated. The rod has a soil engaging portion and an opposed coupling portion configured to be coupled to a torque applying machine or device. The device further includes at least one vane blade extending at least partially along and from the soil engaging portion of the rod for shearing the soil when rotated together with the rod. At plurality of pore water pressure sensors are operatively associated with at least one of the soil engaging portion and the at least one vane blade. The sensors are configured to sense pressure indicative of the pore water pressure of the soil while the at least one vane blade shears the soil.

An experimental setup for measuring the vacuum degree and pore pressure at a point of soil mass in vacuum consolidated state, including a connecting tube, the connecting tube includes an upper water storage tube, a middle tube, the middle tube is loaded with an upper experimental soil mass, the lower tube is loaded with a lower experimental soil mass, a water storage chamber is connected to a pumping mechanism, an intermediate inner chamber is connected to a negative pressure vacuum gauge, the inlet conduit is connected to a negative pressure vacuum gauge. Additionally, the present invention provides a test operation method. The device measures the vacuum degree of upper part of experimental soil mass by observing the reading in the negative pressure vacuum gauge.

A device for simulating injections of liquid chemical/cementitious substances into soils, comprising a first observation chamber which delimits an injectable space adapted to accommodate a soil sample, a second observation chamber which delimits a perforation space adapted to accommodate at least one stretch of an injection device, with longitudinal extension along a longitudinal axis of the second observation chamber, wherein the first observation chamber and the second observation chamber are directly bordering to each other in an interface area, a retaining partition wall which can be inserted in the interface area so as to separate the injectable space from the perforation space and extracted so as to put the perforation space into communication with the injectable space, as well as first transparent portions formed in a first containment wall of the first observation chamber for viewing in real time a propagation of the chemical substance injected into the soil sample by means of the injection device. A method comprising a step of simulating by the device.

The present disclosure provides an effective stress cell for direct measurement of effective stress in saturated soil. The effective stress cell comprises a sensing diaphragm, a porous diaphragm, a connector and a strain sensor. The porous diaphragm allows pore-water to enter the interior space between the sensing diaphragm and the porous diaphragm to provide complete balance of pore-water pressures in the front and back of the sensing diaphragm. Thus, the effective stress cell can directly and accurately measure the effective stress in saturated soil using only one diaphragm at one location without measuring pore-water pressure.

A probe for penetrating and measuring electrical properties of a soil comprises a probe tip connected, via a coaxial cable, to electrical circuitry. The probe tip is convex and includes first and second electrodes with an electrode insulator therebetween. The first electrode is tubular and includes an interior surface defining a central opening extending through the first electrode. The second electrode includes a convex section extending away from the first electrode, and the convex section is configured for insertion into soil. The one end of the coaxial cable is disposed within the central opening of the first electrode, and the inner conductive core of one end of the coaxial cable connected to the second electrode, and the conductive shield of the one end of the coaxial cable connected to the first electrode.

A discrete element method contact model building method includes: selecting a filling body in a disaster-causing structure to obtain a change rule of cumulative loss of the filling body ; performing test simulation, and determining a relation function of each group of corresponding mesoscopic mechanical parameters in each time period and mesoscopic parameters of a DEM contact model representing a change rule of macroscopical parameters of the filling body; embedding each mesoscopic parameter relation function into an existing particle contact model, performing test simulation, and updating a fracture failure criterion of the contact model according to a corresponding relation of macro-mesoscopic strength during model failure; and based on a seepage failure indoor test, building a seepage failure discrete element calculation model, and simulating the seepage failure process of a rock and soil mass by using the obtained particle contact model and the fracture criterion of the particle contact model.

Soil penetrometers capable of measuring soil reflectance along the direction of insertion of the penetrometer are provided. The penetrometer can house an array of sensors, such as, for example, a Vis-NIR reflectance sensor, a load cell, a displacement sensor, and a moisture sensor. The reflectance data collected using the penetrometer can allow the interpretation and quantification of soil constituents and contaminants at high vertical resolution, such as 3 cm or more.

A gravity-type pore pressure dynamic penetration device for exploration of shallow-layer seabed soil includes a third drop hammer, a second drop hammer, a first drop hammer, a stable empennage, and a probe rod which are sequentially arranged from top to bottom. A sidewall friction sleeve is arranged outside a probe rod lower cylinder. A friction sleeve sensor is provided on an inner sidewall of the sidewall friction sleeve. A fast pore water pressure sensor, a conical tip pressure sensor, a temperature compensation sensor, and an inclinometer sensor are provided in the middle of the probe rod lower cylinder. A second pore water pressure sensor and an acceleration sensor are provided in the middle of a probe rod upper cylinder. The tail portion of the probe rod, that is, the upper portion of the probe rod upper cylinder is connected to the stable empennage.

The present invention is an apparatus which executes a photogrammetry method for calculating soil density. After a user excavates soil, measures the mass of the excavated soil and takes multiple images of the excavation site in combination with a calibration object, a data processor uses the various values obtained from the collected images to create a point cloud data object. The processor used this point cloud data object to create a visual representation of the hole. The processor rotates and scales the visual representation. The processor also uses the point cloud data object in volumetric calculations to determine the volume of the hole. Together with the soil mass, the volume allows calculation of soil density.

A system and method for environmental sampling and analysis system are described. The system and method provide for concurrent collection and sampling of subsurface materials and sensing of one or more subsurface environmental conditions. In particular, the system and method provide for high resolution environmental site characterization.