| Abstract
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A comprehensive series of resonant column and bender elements tests were simultaneously performed in the developed RC/BE apparatus. RC/BE tests were conducted on compacted specimens of poorly graded sand (SP) and high plasticity clay (CH) prepared at different moisture contents (17.7, 22.1, 25.5, 30.2% by weight for clay, and 5, 10, 15, 20% by weight for sand) and under different confining pressures (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 psi, or 0, 17.2, 34.4, 69.0 kPa) in order to assess the influence of key environmental factors, such as compaction induced suction and confining pressure, on small-strain stiffness properties of unsaturated soils, such as shear modulus (Gmax) and damping ratio (Dmin). The high PI clay used in this work was obtained from city of Paris, Texas, while poorly graded sand was obtained from a local supplier in the city of Arlington, Texas. Compaction induced suction prior to RC/BE testing was assessed from soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) obtained for SP and CH soils via PPE technique.
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