Determination of Initial Void Ratio of Remolded Clay Using Bayesian Data Fusion Approach

ABSTRACT The accuracy of the initial void ratio is vitally important to ensure the exact position of the normal compression line of remolded clay. In this article, a series of standard oedometer tests were performed on four different types of commercial clay in slurry state to analyze the error sources that affect the experimental accuracy of the initial void ratio. For remolded clay, it is found that the extra water at the end of the test has an unfavorable effect on the calculation accuracy. The precautions and steps for ensuring the experimental accuracy of initial void ratio in the oedometer test are detailed. According to the error propagation theory, the error estimation of five methods commonly used in the literature for calculating the initial void ratio is revealed. On this basis, a novel data fusion approach based on Bayesian inference is proposed to determine the initial void ratio of remolded clay, which fully considers the uncertainty of measurement error. The effectiveness of the proposed Bayesian data fusion approach has been validated by the data from mercury intrusion porosity testing, promoting the application of Bayesian theory in soil mechanics.