Effects of physical properties on electrical conductivity of compacted lateritic soil

Natural soils of various types have different electrical properties due to the composition, structure, water content, and temperature. In order to investigate the electrical properties of lateritic soil, electrical conductivity experiments have been conducted on a self-developed testing device. Test results show that the electrical conductivity of laterite increases with the increase of water content, degree of saturation and dry density. When the water content is below the optimum water content, the electrical conductivity of soils increases nonlinearly and the variation rate increases dramatically. However, when the water content, degree of saturation, or dry density increases to a certain value, the electrical conductivity tends to be a constant. In addition, soil electrical conductivity increases with the increase of temperature, and it is observed that the electrical conductivity decreases with the increase of the number of wetting–drying cycles.