Onset of Strain Localization in Unsaturated Soils Subjected to Constant Water Content Loading

Author(s):  
Dunja Perić ◽  
Gaofeng Zhao ◽  
Nasser Khalili
Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4146
Author(s):  
Xunli Jiang ◽  
Zhiyi Huang ◽  
Xue Luo

Soft soils are usually treated to mitigate their engineering problems, such as excessive deformation, and stabilization is one of most popular treatments. Although there are many creep models to characterize the deformation behaviors of soil, there still exist demands for a balance between model accuracy and practical application. Therefore, this paper aims at developing a Mechanistic-Empirical creep model (MEC) for unsaturated soft and stabilized soils. The model considers the stress dependence and incorporates moisture sensitivity using matric suction and shear strength parameters. This formulation is intended to predict the soil creep deformation under arbitrary water content and arbitrary stress conditions. The results show that the MEC model is in good agreement with the experimental data with very high R-squared values. In addition, the model is compared with the other classical creep models for unsaturated soils. While the classical creep models require a different set of parameters when the water content is changed, the MEC model only needs one set of parameters for different stress levels and moisture conditions, which provides significant facilitation for implementation. Finally, a finite element simulation analysis of subgrade soil foundation is performed for different loading levels and moisture conditions. The MEC model is utilized to predict the creep behavior of subgrade soils. Under the same load and moisture level, the deformation of soft soil is largest, followed by lime soil and RHA–lime-stabilized soil, respectively.


2013 ◽  
Vol 843 ◽  
pp. 97-101
Author(s):  
Zheng Biao Li ◽  
Yin Shan Yun ◽  
Hong Ying Luo

A local fractional Richards equation is derived by considering the soil as fractal porous media, and an exact solution is obtained by a generalized Boltzmann transform and the fractional complex transform. The new theory predicts that the volumetric water content depends on the ratio (distance)2a /(time), where a is the value of fractal dimensions of the porous soil, and its value is recommended for various soils.


2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1341-1357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marie Fleureau ◽  
Jean-Claude Verbrugge ◽  
Pedro J Huergo ◽  
António Gomes Correia ◽  
Siba Kheirbek-Saoud

A relatively large number of drying and wetting tests have been performed on clayey soils compacted at the standard or modified Proctor optimum water content and maximum density and compared with tests on normally consolidated or overconsolidated soils. The results show that drying and wetting paths on compacted soils are fairly linear and reversible in the void ratio or water content versus negative pore-water pressure planes. On the wet side of the optimum, the wetting paths are independent of the compaction water content and can be approached by compaction tests with measurement of the negative pore-water pressure. Correlations have been established between the liquid limit of the soils and such properties as the optimum water content and negative pore-water pressure, the maximum dry density, and the swelling or drying index. Although based on a limited number of tests, these correlations provide a fairly good basis to model the drying–wetting paths when all the necessary data are not available.Key words: compaction, unsaturated soils, clays, drying, wetting, Proctor conditions.


1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 749-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harianto Rahardjo ◽  
Delwyn G. Fredlund

An experimental program was designed to study the behavior of unsaturated soils during undrained loading and consolidation. A Ko cylinder was designed and built for the testing program. Simultaneous measurements of pore-air and pore-water pressures could be made throughout a soil specimen using this Ko cylinder. Four types of tests were performed on a silty sand. These are (1) undrained loading tests where both the air and water are not allowed to drain, (2) constant water content tests where only the water phase is not allowed to drain, (3) consolidation tests where both the air and water phases are allowed to drain, and (4) increasing matric suction tests. Undrained loading tests or constant water content loading tests were conducted for measuring the pore pressure parameters for the unsaturated soil. Drained tests consisting of either consolidation tests or increasing matric suction tests were conducted to study the pore pressure distribution and volume change behavior throughout an unsaturated soil during a transient process. The experimental pore pressure parameters obtained from the undrained loadings and constant water content leadings agreed reasonably well with theory. The pore-air pressure was found to dissipate instantaneously when the air phase is continuous. The pore-water pressure dissipation during the consolidation test was found to be faster than the pore-water pressure decrease during the increasing matric suction test. The differing rates of dissipation were attributed to the different coefficients of water volume change for each of the tests. The water volume changes during the consolidation test were considerably smaller than the water volume changes during the increasing matric suction tests for the same increment of pressure change. Key words : consolidation, Ko loading, matric suction, pore-air pressures, pore-water pressures, unsaturated soils


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. vzj2013.04.0071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott L. Painter ◽  
Satish Karra

Author(s):  
Chen Hui ◽  
Wei Changfu ◽  
Cao Huafeng ◽  
Wu Erlin ◽  
Li Huan

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 684-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
D N Singh ◽  
Sneha J Kuriyan

A saturated silty soil sample is centrifuged in a geotechnical centrifuge to create an unsaturated state. The change in water content of the soil sample is recorded at different points along the length of the sample to obtain the water-content profile, which is then used to obtain the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil sample. These hydraulic conductivity values are compared with those obtained and reported by previous researchers by conducting accelerated falling-head tests on this soil sample in a centrifuge. The study demonstrates the use of centrifugation techniques to obtain hydraulic conductivities of unsaturated soils.Key words: silty soil, saturated soil, unsaturated soil, hydraulic conductivity, centrifuge testing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-376
Author(s):  
Xiaokun Hou ◽  
Sai K. Vanapalli ◽  
Tonglu Li

In this paper, water flow in a 4 m height column with an unsaturated soil that is subjected to multiple infiltration events for a 62 day period is investigated. One-dimensional (1D) numerical analysis is also undertaken to analyze the flow, extending the seepage theory for unsaturated soils. Results highlight the formation of two wetting fronts; namely, wetting front I and wetting front II that are induced by the first and subsequent infiltration events, respectively. There is a stable zone where the water content is approximately constant; it forms between the two fronts. A conceptual model of the suction profile is proposed for interpreting in situ water flow by dividing the unsaturated zone into four distinct zones; namely, active, steady, transition, and capillary fringe zones. This division is helpful for providing a rational explanation of water flow in different zones. Novel contributions from this study include a relationship between the hydraulic properties in the steady zone and the flow velocity, which is determined by an average influx rate. In addition, the rate of groundwater recharge can also be estimated using the average influx rate. Results of the present study are useful to understand and interpret the relationship between water infiltration and suction or water content profile in the unsaturated zone as well as variation of groundwater table level.


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