Experimental study of electrical and dielectric properties of consolidated clayey materials

Clayey materials, both natural argilites and compacted clays, have received an increasing interest for building safe waste disposal sites ought to their low permeability and capacity to adsorb contaminants. In that perspective it is necessary find an efficient and easy to use tool to check the condition of clay on site, especially for its water content. Electrical and dielectric methods could fulfill these criteria. Electrical and dielectric measurements are affected by several parameters: type of clay (mineralogy), texture, water content, and measurement frequency. Currently only few electrical data and theories are available for materials containing a large amount of clay minerals. We present here a laboratory study of a natural argillite and as well as compacted clays for which water content and texture are known. (authors)