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The researchers of BelSU Institute of Earth Sciences in collaboration with the colleagues from South-West State University (Kursk) developed and patented a ground distortion detector. The device, improved by a hydraulic system for water supply and free circulation, has been used for laboratory study on the time rate of second ground consolidation, provoked by the creep of plastic mineral skeleton of clay soils and natural aquatic-colloidal bonds. The system enables to avoid malfunction of the investigated process in laboratory conditions and increases the accuracy and reliability of its results.

The work on the device, supervised by Professor Vladimir Khaustov, was carried out on the premises of the Department of Applied Geology and Mining Engineering of BelSU Institute of Earth Sciences. The project has been implemented under “Prioritet-2030” strategic programme.

The detector consists of a soil sample holder and two interacting separately loaded stamps. The underlying loading stamp is fastened vertically and supplied with indicators monitoring the vertical movement of the major stamp and open surface of the soil sample. The major stamp is specially designed to provide the hydraulic system for water supply and free circulation. It includes an external reservoir with a water supply tube, a water level sensor and two water pipelines. The hydraulic system ensures a constant moisture regime of the tested clay soil sample during the testing process over a period of months, thus providing for natural humidity of the soil.

Unlike the well-known devices for rate evaluation and soil properties analysis, the novel detector developed by BelSU scientists allows to detect shear creep of the soil sample and reveal volumetric consolidation. These advantages of the device can be used for more effective engineering site investigations in construction.