In-situ test of reinforced volcanic ash with steel bars and panel facings

Kagoshima Prefecture is located in the southern part of Kyushu Island and has several active volcanoes which have been producing the volcanic material. The in-situ test of reinforced volcanic ash with steel bars and panel facings was carried out to investigate the effect of reinforcement on the slope at Kirishima area where the falling volcanic ash called “Kuroboku” in Japanese covers the ground as the surface layer. The axial forces on the steel bars normally attached to the panels were measured for more than ten months, where the data were automatically acquired and filed by using the microcomputer. Additionally the amount of rainfall per hour, the temperature of ground and the suction in Kuroboku were automatically measured to relate to the change in the axial force of steel bar. Then some consideration was done for the effects of reinforcement based on the results of in-situ measuring test.