Abstract: The red mud has the characteristics of high water content and strong alkaline. The one dimensional consolidation tests under seepage condition provided by a standing PVC pipe. The test samples were prepare with two different conditions: Bayer Method and Mixing Method. The results indicate that, when the moisture content is less than a threshold value, the coefficient of compressibility decreases with the unit weight and the compression modulus, cohesion and the international friction angle increase with the unit weight. Whereas, when the moisture content exceeds the threshold value, an opposite trend can be found. These factors have weak correlations with the coefficient of the seepage. When the samples are prepared by the Mixing Method, an opposite trend with the unit weight are demonstrated. It is concluded that the threshold moisture is the turning point of the mechanical properties of the artificially prepared red mud. The paper propose the method of determining the threshold moisture content and the seepage range of different red mud are also suggested.

Key words: Red Mud, Laboratory Test, Threshold Moisture Contents, Infiltration Tests