B-Value Measurements for Granular Materials at High Confining Pressures

The pore-pressure coefficient, B, is used often to check the degree of saturation of triaxial specimens. A B-value approaching unity is taken to indicate full saturation. The B-value has been measured experimentally at high confining pressures (0.07 to 69 MPa) and found to be substantially less than unity, despite full saturation. Although lowered B-values can be evaluated reliably under high-stress conditions, saturation checks are performed most conveniently at low confining pressures.