How do you find the sensitivity of clay?

The ratio of unconfined compression strength of clay in the natural or undisturbed state to that in the remoulded state, without any change in the water content is called as sensitivity of soil….Also Read : Thixotropy of Clay (Soil Mechanics)

What do you mean by sensitivity of clay?

The degree of sensitivity of a clay is defined as the ratio of (compressive strength undisturbed) to (compressive strength remoulded), remoulding being carried out in such a manner as to avoid any change in water content.

What is thixotropy soil?

Seng [1] defined thixotropy as the phenomenon in which soil has hardening, over time, under constant humidity or volume conditions after a remoulding process. This phenomenon is related to the recovering of strength or stiffness, and it may depend totally or partially on the properties of the material.

What is the significance of clay?

Clay is an important part of soil because it contains nutrients that are essential to plant growth. Another way to use clay is through sculpting. One property of clay is plasticity. This means that you can stretch out the clay without it breaking or tearing.

What is sensitivity and thixotropy?

Higher is the sensitivity of soil, which means soil loses more of its strength on remoulding, larger will be the thixotropic hardening. We can say that because of remoulding soil becomes soft and if it is left undisturbed for some time soil regains some of its hardness.

What is the sensitivity of normal clay?

It is formed when the size of the particle is less than 0.0002 mm….Detailed Solution.

What does thixotropy mean?

Thixotropy is defined as the progressive decrease in viscosity with time for a constant applied shear stress, followed by a gradual recovery when the stress is removed.

What causes thixotropy?

Thixotropy arises because particles or structured solutes require time to organize. Some fluids are anti-thixotropic: constant shear stress for a time causes an increase in viscosity or even solidification. Fluids which exhibit this property are sometimes called rheopectic.

How is clay used in everyday life?

Clay is used in many modern industrial processes, such as paper making, cement production, and chemical filtering. Between one-half and two-thirds of the world’s population live or work in buildings made with clay, often baked into brick, as an essential part of its load-bearing structure.

What are the properties of clays?

The small size of the particles and their unique crystal structures give clay materials special properties. These properties include: cation exchange capabilities, plastic behaviour when wet, catalytic abilities, swelling behaviour, and low permeability.

What is the sensitivity of quick clay?

(i) A quick clay is defined as a clay where the undisturbed shear strength of the soil is at least 30 times greater than the remolded (or disturbed) shear strength. (ii) The ratio of undisturbed to disturbed strength is termed as sensitivity….Detailed Solution.

How do you measure thixotropy?

Thixotropy can be quantitatively measured using a rotational rheometer. The most commonly used testing geometries are 20-40 mm parallel plate or a cup/rotor geometry.