Seepage test by HCA for remolded kaolin

Permeability is an import character of soil, especially in excavation and tunnelling. Hollow cylindrical apparatus (HCA) is often used to determine soil anisotropy, particularly soil strength and stiffness under different directions of major principal stress, so complex stress paths can be simulated and the corresponding soil properties can be examined. It can also be used to determine the permeability coefficient if a special mode is added, therefore the seepage test can be expected. Owing to no seepage test has been conducted by HCA before, the complete procedure of HCA seepage tests after static and dynamic loading are respectively studied. And the seepage stability stage is discussed since only data in this stage are valid and reliable for permeability calculation. The results show that:1) when the difference in average permeability coefficient within unit time (3600 seconds) less than 2% in 24h, it is reliable to take the average permeability coefficient in this period as the ultimate permeability in static seepage test; 2) for dynamic test, if the average permeability in 3600 seconds varies with 5% in 24h, the average permeability coefficient in this period can be taken as the ultimate value. Research in this paper provides a solid foundation for HCA seepage test under complex stress paths.