Transparent Soils Wiki

Silica Gel

 

Photos of Silica Gel Particles       Magnified ESM   

Fig. 1 – Photos of Silica Gel Particles (RHS) and Magnified ESM (LHS)

This family of transparent soils is made of particulate silica gel, commonly used as a desiccant for leather goods, medicine pills, and packaging. Silica gel has been used to model the static and dynamic behavior of sand. More importantly, silica gel has the same RI as amorphous silica powder and thus can be combined within the same transparent model using the same pore fluid to represent a layered system of sand and clay. Grains of silica gel contain a vast network of interconnected pores, having an average diameter of 21 A ̊, which reduces its stiffness and strength compared to natural sand and promotes grain crushing (Fig. 1).  Nevertheless, the material has been used to model the behavior of pile penetration,  shallow foundations and tunneling.  The typical mechanical behavior of silica gel is shown in Fig. 2 and 3.

 

 Mechanical Behavior of Silica Gel in Direct Shear  Mechanical Behavior of Silica Gel in Direct Shear

Fig. 2 – Mechanical Behavior of Silica Gel in Direct Shear

 

Failure Envelopes of Silica Gel Failure Envelopes of Silica Gel

Fig. 3 – Failure Envelopes of Silica Gel

 

Primary References

  • Iskander, M., Sadek, S. and J. Liu (2002). Optical measurement of deformation using transparent silica gel to model sand. International Journal of  Physical Modeling in Geotechnics, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 27-40, ICE [link]
  • Sadek, S., M. Iskanderm and J. Liu (2002). Geotechnical properties of transparent silica. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 111-124, NRC Research Press [link]

References by Others

  • Zhao, H. and Ge, L., 2014, “Investigation on the Shear Moduli and Damping Ratios of Silica Gel,” Gran. Matter, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 4449–4456 [link]
  • Zhao, H., Ge, L., and Luna, R., 2010, “Low Viscosity Pore Fluid to Manufacture Transparent Soil,” Geotech. Test. J., Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 1–6 [link]