Compaction of SALT

[GeologyTech5]

I work for a Civil Engineering Firm and we have been hired to take density tests on Run of Mine Salt. We have prepared a Modified Proctor (ASTM D 1557) of the salt, very wierd plot. We are currently trying to figure out how to take densities on the material. We don't know if the gauge will work properly in the salt. We've considered sand cones but we concerned we may loose sand in the void space between salt grains. We are concerned the salt is too angular for the balloon method. We have considered coring through the pad to have a clean hole but we may have collapse when the salt is not confined. Any ideas are appreciated.

 

[dgillette]

I think you're smart to mistrust the nuke in salt unless you have some actual tank tests or side-by-side sand cones or something like that to back it up. I'm not surprised that salt doesn't give you a typical moisture-density curve, because it's far from the typical soil that we do those on, and you may have a research project more than a routine testing job. You probably get way more particle crushing, and I have no idea what happens with changes in moisture content (adsorption? absorption? dissolution and recrystallization at particle contacts?).

I'm curious, though, as soft as salt is, could it really have big sand-eating voids after it's been compacted?

In/under Cleveland, perchance?