Experimental study of the moisture content effects on K0 consolidation properties

Through different water content of unsaturated loess K₀ consolidation tests with constant load carried out. The impact of water content on the secant modulus, stress-strain characteristics and coefficient of lateral pressure was analyzed. Tests showed that, in the case of the same other conditions, secant modulus decreases as the load applied and eventually stabilized. When it reached a steady value, with the moisture content decreasing, secant modulus was reducing and had linear correlation with moisture content. The greater the moisture content, the faster the growth rate of K₀. K₀ stabilized until to the soil structure completely destroyed. The values of K₀ with different moisture finally come to stabilize, moreover the stable values have small differences.