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Unsaturated Triaxial Testing of Soil

GDS Unsaturated Triaxial Testing System (UNSAT) is an extension to traditional triaxial testing, in that soils from above the water table may be tested under conditions approaching the in-situ stress state and degree of saturation or partial saturation. The Stress Dependant Soil Water Characteristic Curve (SDSWCC) may be obtained using the axis translation technique. […]

  • SKU : G-345-UNSAT
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GDS Unsaturated Triaxial Testing System (UNSAT) is an extension to traditional triaxial testing, in that soils from above the water table may be tested under conditions approaching the in-situ stress state and degree of saturation or partial saturation. The Stress Dependant Soil Water Characteristic Curve (SDSWCC) may be obtained using the axis translation technique.


All GDS triaxial testing systems (as well as triaxial equipment from other manufacturers*) can be modified to allow for Unsaturated Triaxial Testing. GDS provide options for 4 methods to perform unsaturated testing, each based on alternative methods for measuring volume change.


  • Method A: direct volume measurement using an air pressure/volume controller
  • Method B: HKUST inner cell
  • Method C: double walled cell
  • Method D: on-sample strain transducers