Preconsolidation pressure (sigmap) is determined by a consolidation test method, based on the gradual transference of a load onto the soil until all porosity is compressed. The equipment used for this test is a consolidometer, which is not available in Brazil, while the models used abroad are very costly. In some cases this situation impairs the access of Brazilian researchers and farmers to data of Soil Load Support Capacity (SLCS). This study had the objective of developing and evaluating an electronic-pneumatic device by which sigmap can be obtained in the consolidation test. The equipment was developed at the Universidade Estadual Paulista and evaluated in uniaxial tests using specimens of two Oxisol horizons (surface and sub surface). The soil density values in the soil compression curves increased showing the variation of specimen strain recalque/ sinkage or displacement in function of the increasing pressure levels and soil moisture. The equipment efficiency was confirmed by the differentiated compression curves and equations obtained for the soil load support capacity models, which were able to detect the different soil consolidation degrees as well as the different sequences of structure tension in each Oxisol layer.
uniaxial test; compressibility; soil; preconsolidation pressure
