The Effect of Water Content on Axial Strain in a Loam Soil under Tension and Compression

Abstract A method is described for measuring axial strain in a remolded loam soil under unconfined axial loading in both compression and tension. Using this method the stress‐strain relationships for the loam soil were determined for soil‐water contents ranging from 2% to 12% by weight. The maximum tensile stress in a soil beam stressed to failure in a modulus of rupture test was computed from the measured stress‐strain relationships. This computed fiber stress was approximately 10% greater than the measured tensile strength. The strain energy required to rupture this soil in axial tension, taken as the area under the stress‐strain curve, was shown to increase by only 20% for a sixfold increase in tensile strength and to be almost proportionately related to the energy required to produce a fixed degree of soil breakup in a drop‐shatter test.