STRUCTURAL AND TEXTURAL INFLUENCES ON THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF SOILS

Abstract

THIS PAPER TREATS BRIEFLY THE COMMON METHODS USED FOR DETERMINING THERMAL CONDUCTIVITIES OF MATERIALS. A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE TEST METHODS FOR SOILS LEADS TO THE ADOPTION OF A RECENTLY DEVELOPED PROCEDURE FOR THE LABORATORY INVESTIGATION. THE EQUIPMENT EMPLOYED IN THE RESEARCH IS DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED. THE DATA OBTAINED FROM THE EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ARE INTERPRETED AND AN EQUATION IS PROPOSED SHOWING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERMAL RESISTIVITY, DENSITY, AND MOISTURE CONTENT. THE CONSTANTS IN THIS EQUATION ARE MODIFIED BY PARAMETERS SUCH AS SOLID COMPOSITION, GRAIN SIZE, TEMPERATURE, AND STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. AVAILABLE THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ON WATER AND ITS MOVEMENT IN SOILS IS UTILIZED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLARIFY QUESTIONS WHICH ARISE IN HEATING OF UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CABLES. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ONCERNING SOIL SURVEYING AND TRENCH DESIGN FOR THE INSTALLATION OF UNDERGROUND CABLE ARE SUGGESTED. /AUTHOR/