Resistivity Laboratory Measurement of

Geomaterial
Haryati Awang
Institute for Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainable Management, Faculty of
Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Selangor, Malaysia
e-mail: harya406@salam.uitm.edu.my

Cho Gye-Chun
Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST, Daejon, Korea
e-mail: gyechun@kaist.ac.kr

ABSTRACT
Electrical resistivity is usually measured as field survey as it is one of geophysical methods that is
currently used in site investigation program for subsurface profiling. Problems in quantifying the
resistivity value of geomaterial may possibly contribute to a meaningless data collection for
geotechnical assessment. As consequences this technique is less appreciated by engineers as it may be
complicated in accepting the interpretation of the resistivity profile of the subsurface. This paper
presents finding on experimental study in developing electrical resistivity measurement of geomaterial
including soil and rock. The purpose of this laboratory study is to establish a laboratory test method of
electrical resistivity measurement using resistance meter or a LCR meter, so then resistivity index of
geomaterial can be produced. Due to the objectives of this study, a configuration test was carried out
on a group of artificial and real rock samples to obtain an ideal frequency for the geo-material. The
tests were performed by connecting the cables to the two current electrodes at the both ends of the
sample. The resistivity measurement on homogeneous rock sample (gypsum) at 500 kHz frequency
showed a result that the variations in sample thickness do not influence the resistivity value of the
material. An ideal moisture content of 56% of the geo-material results a constant resistivity value. As
for validation for this laboratory experiment, a field resistivity test was carried out to measure the
actual resistivity value on site. By comparing field and laboratory results, this method can be applied to
soil and rock material for resistivity index determination.
KEYWORDS: Geophysical; laboratory measurement; electrical resistivity;
geometrial.

INTRODUCTION
Field method of electrical resistivity is now commonly used in site investigation to obtain the
information of the subsurface including the profiles and the geo-material index. Realizing that the
electrical resistivity method in the present development does not give direct quantitative data on
engineering parameters besides the interpretation of the subsurface image require high personnel skill,
there is a need to full fill the void in this issue. Furthermore, until now there is no significant electrical
resistivity index for geo-material especially for tropically weathered rock and therefore it is definitely
hard to interpret the electrical resistivity result from this region. The current application on electrical
resistivity is less appreciated by technical personnel particularly civil engineers with the reason that
the data provided, is meaningless to engineering work. Thus, the technique is less appreciable to be

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used in civil engineering works. For these reasons this research was carried out to develop a non-
destructive test in laboratory using electrical resistivity concept which is called as geo-resistivity
method.
The geo-resistivity is a method where electric current is applied to the ground samples and
different in its potential produces geo-resistivity values. This study was carried out as an enhancement
study of electrical resistivity method that is popularly used in field measurement.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Materials
Two types of material, gypsum (artificial rock) and sandstone (real rock) were used in this study
as shown in Fig. 1. For the purpose of frequency configuration, artificial rocks were prepared using
gypsum powder and water. The gypsum powder of 1000g mixed with 650 ml of water in PVC tube
to form modeled cylindrical shape similar to cored sample of rock with dimension of 50 mm
diameter. For real rock samples a number of sandstone were collected from a site at Puncak Alam and
Bukit Kerayong of Selangor state, Malaysia. Some blasting and excavation activities from the sites
provide samples for laboratory analysis for most weathering grades. To obtain cylindrical shape
samples, the blocks were cored to NX core size. Both gypsum and sandstones were prepared in 50
mm diameter (D) cored samples and the thicknesses or length (H) ranging from 20 mm to 115 mm.

(b) Gypsum (a) Sandstone

Figure 1: Types of material used

Experimental Set-up
An important apparatus of electrical resistivity measurement device in the laboratory, a resistance
meter, LCR meter model LCR-821, with frequency range from 12 Hz to 1000 kHz was used in this
study as shown in Fig. 2. The LCR meter was functioning as impedance analyzer to measure the
resistance of a material when current is applied between both ends of the material. Power supply for
the LCR meter was sourced from AC current of 240 V. This meter was connected with 2 wires
(provided) of radial and axial leaded components. The sizes of the sample depend on the objective of
the destructive test after the resistivity test. Other apparatus is sample holder that fabricated with
rotation gear and clamping devices. The clamping pressure is constant by the cell pressure that was
installed at one end of the holder. Electrical resistivity measurement were performed with two wires
from four terminals (connected to test fixtures) were connected to the two current electrodes. To
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measure the resistance of the sample, the LCR meter was turned to R/C mode. By connecting the
two ends of the cables to two current electrodes at the both ends of the sample, resistances reading
were recorded.

Pressure gauge

Specimen

Control gear

Sample holder

Figure 2: Schematic diagram for laboratory set-up of resistivity test

Instrument Self-Calibration
Calibration on the resistance meter (LCR) was carried out before conducting resistance
measurement on the sample as it is important part of the test method. The purpose of calibration is to
get the accurate and consistence reading of the tested material. In actual impedance measurement, an
extension of the measurement port with cables or test fixture was connected. For calibration purpose
open and short zeroing process must be done as in Fig. 3. Zeroing is one of the self-calibrations
before running the test. In order to eliminate strayed impedance of test cable and test fixtures during
the measurement, the four (4) test cables/ fixture error must be corrected before any measurement is
carried out. The corrections are calculated and stored in memory of the LCR Meters during the
zeroing process. After passing the zeroing process, (if the zeroing process is successful, a message of
OK will appear in LCR meter. If failed a message of FAIL will appear) the measurement will
show zero (~0) when tested on short test.

Frequency Configuration Test

To measure the resistance of a solid or liquid material, it requires configuring the frequency
because every material has it own frequency. The purpose of frequency configuration is to select the
ideal frequency of rock material for resistance measurement. A constant resistance reading will be
produced at a certain frequency range which is called as frequency configuration. An impedance
measurement of a material in a circuit of an AC at a given frequency is defined by an
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Cable /adapter

Test fixture

Open test: 2 mm Copper electrodes

Short test:

Figure 1: Instrument calibration by zeroing process

impedance vector consists of a real part (resistance, R) and an imaginary part (reactance, X) or in
polar form as a magnitude, |Z| and phase angle, and mathematically it can be expressed as

Z= R + jX = |Z|

R=|Z| cos
X=|Z| sin

Graphically it can be shown as

Imaginary, X

Z=(R

|Z|

Real
where, R=Z at =0

The cable and text fixture must be zeroed at each time the frequency and material is changed. To
ensure the accuracy of the cable and test fixtures, measurement was made by connecting both cables.
Results of R = -0.0008 ohm (nearly zero) was shown. For frequency configuration, molded gypsum
was used to simulate the homogeneous rock. The solid sample was tested for resistance measurement
and readings were recorded using LCR meter.
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RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

Frequency Configuration
Graph in Figure 3 shows the frequency configuration of the solid gypsum representing ground
material. The resistance shows a stable response at the frequency between 100 kHz to 1000 kHz as
shown in Figure 3(a). The range of value is suited to the high resistance material such as rock. Theta
() achieved nearly zero reading (~0) at 500 kHz which mean that the Z = R at that frequency Figure
3 (b). Meanwhile the capacitance measurement shows constants reading from 100 kHz to 1000 kHz
Figure 3(c).
The measurement for the gypsum or solid ground material should be performed at the frequency
of 500 kHz because at this frequency it gives an ideal resistance, R. This frequency will be set for any
measurement for solid material like rock as it showed a constant reading. This configuration explains
that in any material that under go for a resistance test using the above said LCR meter at 500 kHz
frequency, the result give a true resistance value of the material.

SubSubsection Style

Figure 3: Frequency configuration of core samples

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Geometric Effect
Results on volumetric on geo-resistivity as presented in Figure 4 were obtained after the
calibration and configuration of the frequency. Result of the resistivity measurement on homogeneous
rock sample (gypsum) at 500 kHz frequency shows that the variations in sample thickness (H: D) do
not influence the resistivity value of the material at the moisture content of 55.96% in average. The
standard deviation of 0.96 value suggested that the resistivity value clustered closely around the mean
value produced a linear horizontal trend line to show the constant value which is at 3.39.

Figure 4: Results of volumetric effect on geo-resistivity of ground material (a) gypsum and
(b) sandstone

CONCLUSIONS

As conclusions the development on the laboratory testing of geo-resistivity is successfully set up

using impedance analyzer apparatus which based on frequency configuration. By this finding,
resistivity of core samples can be measured at any thickness with regards to the dimension required
by destructive test such as H=2D for UCS and H=D for point load test. It also can be concluded that
at an identified frequency, variation in sample thickness does not influence the resistivity value of
homogeneous material as long as the moisture content is control at specific range. Finally, on various
thicknesses of cylindrical rock samples, the geometric changes do not show any effect to geo-
resistivity.

REFERENCES
1. Antoine, M. M. and J. M. Bradford (1982) Parameters for Describing Soil Detachment
due to Single-Water Impact, Sad Sam Soc. Am. J., 46, 36-840.
2. Awang, H., Nawawi, M.N., Mohammed, Z (2006) A laboratory study on the influence
of dc and ac current on electrical resistivity index of geo-materials National Seminar on
Civil Engineering Research. 19-20 December 2006. Johor Bharu
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3. Muhammad Syukri, Dr. Rosli Saad, Dr. M.M. Nordiana, and I. N. Azwin: Preliminary
Study of Sumatera Fault Using 2-D Resistivity Imaging Method Electronic Journal of
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5. Muhammad Syukri, Dr. Rosli Saad, Dr. M.M. Nordiana, and I. N. Azwin: Preliminary
Study of Sumatera Fault Using 2-D Resistivity Imaging Method Electronic Journal of
Geotechnical Engineering, 2014: (19/D) pp 971-979. Available at ejge.com.

2016 ejge