Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth | Page 7

with a ?-in. goose-neck pipe 17 in. high above the top of the bowl shown in Fig. 8 and in Fig. 2, Plate XXVII. A loose rubber valve was intended to be seated on the upper face of the machined edge of the bowl and weighted down sufficiently to balance it against a head of water corresponding to the 17-in. head in the goose-neck. The bowl was then to be filled with sand and the difference, if any, noted between the weight required to hold the flap-valve down under the same head of water flowing through the sand. The results of this experiment were not conclusive, owing to the difficulty of making contact over the whole area of the sand and the rim of the bowl at the same time. At times, for instance, less than 1 lb. would hold back the water indefinitely, while, again, 2 or 3 lb. would be required as opposed to the 4? lb. approximate pressure required to hold down the clear water. Again, at times the water would not flow through the neck at all, even after several hours, and after increasing the head by attaching a longer rubber tube thereto. In view of these conditions, this experiment would not be noted here, except that it unexpectedly developed one interesting fact. In order to insure against a stoppage of water, as above referred to, gravel was first put into the bottom of the bowl and the flap-valve was then rubbed down and held tightly while the pipe was filled. On being released, the pressure of water invariably forced out the whole body of sand, as shown in Fig. 2, Plate XXVII. Care was taken to see that the sand was saturated in each case, and the experiment was repeated numberless times, and invariably with the same result. The sand contained about 40% of voids. The deduction from this experiment is that the pressure of water is against rather than through sand and that any excess of voids occurring adjacent to a face against which there is pressure of water will be filled with sand, excepting in so far, of course, as the normal existing voids allow the pressure of the water to be transmitted through them.
[Illustration: PLATE XXVII, FIG. 1.--EXPERIMENT SHOWING PROPERTIES OF SAND.]
[Illustration: PLATE XXVII, FIG. 2.--SAND PUSHED UP FROM BOWL BY WATER PRESSURE THROUGH GOOSE-NECK.]
If, then, the covering of sand over a structure is sufficiently heavy to allow arching action to be set up, the structure against which the pressure is applied must be relieved of much of the pressure of water against the area of sand not constituted as voids acting outside of the arching area. This is confirmed by the two following experiments:
_Experiment No. 5._--The same apparatus was used here as in Experiment No. 2, Fig. 7, except that the inside bucket had a solid bottom. The inside and outside buckets were filled with water and the point was noted at which the weight would balance the inside bucket at a point some 3 in. off the bottom of the outside bucket. This point was measured, and the bottom of the larger bucket was covered over with sand so that in setting solidly in the sand the inside bucket would occupy the same relative position as it did in the water. The same weight was then applied and would not begin to lift the inner bucket. For instance, in the first part of the experiment the weight stood at 12 in. from the pivot, while in the next step the weight, standing at the end of the bar, had no effect, and considerable external pressure had to be exerted before the bucket could be lifted. Immediately after it was relieved, however, the weight at 12 in. would hold it clear of the sand. No attempt was made to work the bucket into the sand; the sand was leveled up and the bucket was seated on it, turned once or twice to insure contact, and then allowed to stand for some time before making the experiment. No attempt was made to establish the relationship between sands of varying voids, the general fact only being established, by a sufficient number of experiments, that the weight required to lift the bucket was more than double in sand having 40% of voids than that required to lift the bucket in water only.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.]
_Experiment No. 6._--The apparatus for this experiment consisted essentially of a hydraulic chamber about 8 in. in diameter and 1 ft. high, the top being removable and containing a collar with suitable packing, through which a 2?-in. piston moved freely up and down, the whole being similar to the cylinder and piston of a large hydraulic jack, as shown in Fig. 1, Plate XXVIII. Just below the collar and above the