Investigation on desiccation cracking behavior of clayey soils with a perspective of fracture mechanics: a review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Jian Xu ◽  
Chao-Sheng Tang ◽  
Qing Cheng ◽  
Qi-liang Xu ◽  
Hilary I. Inyang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Desiccation Cracking

scholarly journals Experiment evidence on the temperature dependence of desiccation cracking behavior of clayey soils

2010 ◽  
Vol 114 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 261-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Sheng Tang ◽  
Yu-Jun Cui ◽  
Anh-Minh Tang ◽  
Bin Shi
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Dependence ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Desiccation Cracking

Desiccation Cracking Behavior of Clayey Soils Treated with Biocement and Bottom Ash Admixture during Wetting–Drying Cycles

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (8) ◽  
pp. 441-454
Author(s):  
Mark Vail ◽  
Cheng Zhu ◽  
Chao-Sheng Tang ◽  
Nate Maute ◽  
Melissa Tababa Montalbo-Lomboy
Keyword(s):  
Soil Stabilization ◽  
Particle Surface ◽  
Bottom Ash ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Calcite Precipitation ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Earth Structures ◽  
Desiccation Cracking ◽  
Long Term Performance ◽  
Term Performance

Desiccation cracking considerably impairs the hydraulic and mechanical properties of clayey soils that are critical to the long-term performance of infrastructure foundations and earth structures. Typical crack remediation methods are associated with high labor and maintenance costs or the use of environmentally unfriendly chemicals. Recycling waste materials and developing biomediated techniques have emerged as green, sustainable soil stabilization solutions. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of soil crack remediation through use of bottom ash admixtures and microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP). We carried out cyclic wetting–drying tests to characterize the effects of bottom ash and MICP on the desiccation cracking behaviors of bentonite soils. Two groups of soil samples that contained different percentages of bottom ash (0%, 20%, 40% by weight) were prepared for cyclic water and MICP treatments, respectively. The desiccation cracking patterns captured by a high-resolution camera were quantified using image processing. We also employed scanning electron microscopy for microstructural characterizations. Experimental results revealed that cyclic water treatment resulted in more cracking, whereas cyclic MICP treatment improved soil strength owing to the precipitation of calcite crystals on the soil particle surface and inside the interparticle pores. Adding bottom ash to bentonite reduced the plasticity of the mixture, promoted the flocculation of clay particles by cation exchange, and also provided soluble calcium to enhance calcite precipitation. This study demonstrates the potential of bottom ash and MICP for crack remediation and brings new insights into the design and assessment of sustainable infrastructures under climate changes.

scholarly journals A Review of Cracking Behavior and Mechanism in Clayey Soils Related to Desiccation

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xin Wei ◽  
Chongyang Gao ◽  
Ke Liu
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Soil Mechanics ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Numerical Approaches

Cracks in clayey soils are common during desiccation. The presence of cracks significantly alters the mechanical and hydraulic properties of soils. The objective of this article is to summarize the works on cracking behavior and mechanism in clayey soils related to desiccation. Historical field investigations, laboratory experimentations, identified mechanisms, and numerical approaches for modeling the process of cracking during desiccation are discussed. The experimental approaches for interpreting the mechanisms of cracking are systematically summarized and comprehensively reviewed based on the in situ observations and laboratory experimentations from the literature. The soil mechanics-based approaches resumed in this article according to the fracture mechanics theory and numerical results highlight the cracking development mechanism. Concerning the plasticity characteristics of clayey soils, researches on soil fracture mechanics should be paid more attention. More in situ experimentations and numerical researches are suggested for future researches to better understand the cracking behavior and mechanism in clayey soils related to desiccation.

scholarly journals Desiccation Cracking Behavior of MICP-Treated Bentonite

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vail ◽  
Zhu ◽  
Tang ◽  
Anderson ◽  
Moroski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Fluid Type ◽  
Calcite Precipitation ◽  
Crack Evolution ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Soil Desiccation ◽  
Cracking Potential ◽  
Desiccation Cracking ◽  
Mixed Bacteria ◽  
Calcium Bentonite

This study aims to characterize the effect of microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) on the desiccation cracking behaviors of compacted calcium bentonite soils. We prepare six groups of samples by mixing bentonites with deionized water, pure bacteria solution, pure cementation solution, and mixed bacteria and cementation solutions at three different percentages. We use an image processing tool to characterize the soil desiccation cracking patterns. Experimental results reveal the influences of fluid type and mixture percentage on the crack evolution and volumetric deformation of bentonite soils. MICP reactions effectively delay the crack initiation and remediate desiccation cracking, as reflected by the decreased geometrical descriptors of the crack pattern such as surface crack ratio. The mixture containing 50% bacteria and 50% cementation solutions maximizes the MICP treatment and works most effectively in lowering the soil cracking potential. This study provides new insights into the desiccation cracking of expansive clayey soils and shows the potential of MICP applications in the crack remediation.

scholarly journals Desiccation Cracking Behavior of Polyurethane and Polyacrylamide Admixed Clayey Soils

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2398
Author(s):  
Changqing Qi ◽  
Yuxia Bai ◽  
Jin Liu ◽  
Fan Bu ◽  
Debi Prasanna Kanungo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Polymer Concentration ◽  
Soil Reinforcement ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Treated Soil ◽  
Desiccation Cracking ◽  
Evaporation Stage ◽  
Scanning Electron ◽  
Sem Analyses

There has been a growing interest in polymer applied for soil reinforcement in recent years. However, there little attention has been paid to the effects of polymer on soil cracking behavior, and cracks significantly change soil strength and hydraulic properties and alter reinforcement effectiveness. This study investigated the desiccation cracking behavior of polyurethane (PU) and polyacrylamide (PAM) admixed clayey soils with different polymer concentrations by performing desiccation cracking tests. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation was also carried out to obtain the internal structure of these soils. The results show that PU and PAM addition both prolonged the initial evaporation stage, accelerated later evaporation processes, and the effects were related to polymer concentration. Final cracks morphology analyses show that PAM addition slightly reduced the cracking and crushing degree and kept the soil relatively intact, while PU addition slightly enhanced the cracking and crushing degree of soil. In addition, PU and PAM addition both increased the width and length of cracks. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses show that the effects of polymer on soil evaporation and cracking could be concluded as: (1) storing water in voids, (2) influencing water immigration channel, (3) providing space for soil shrinkage, and (4) enhancing the connection between aggregates, which did not fully come into play because of the existence of hydrogel form. These achievements provide a certain basis for the research of desiccation cracking behavior of polymer treated soil and make significant sense for the safe and effective running of related projects.

Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior of Uranium Alloys

CORROSION ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. F. CZYRKLIS ◽  
M. LEVY
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Stress Corrosion ◽  
Stress Corrosion Cracking ◽  
Threshold Stress ◽  
Crack Extension ◽  
Corrosion Cracking ◽  
Nacl Solution ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Linear Elastic ◽  
Elastic Fracture

Abstract The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of U-3/4% Ti, and uranium alloys 3/4% Quad, 1% Quad, and 1% Quint have been studied utilizing a linear elastic fracture mechanics approach. The threshold stress intensities for stress corrosion crack propagation for these alloys have been determined in distilled H2O and NaCl solutions containing 50 ppm Cl− and 21,000 ppm Cl−. All of the alloys studied may be classified as very susceptible to SCC in aqueous solutions since they exhibit SCC in distilled H2O (<1 ppm Cl−) and have low KIscc values in NaCl solutions. Crack extension in all of the alloys in all environments was transgranular and failure occurred by brittle quasicleavage fracture in NaCl solution.

Tensile behavior of clayey soils during desiccation cracking process

2020 ◽  
Vol 279 ◽  
pp. 105909
Author(s):  
Qing Cheng ◽  
Chao-Sheng Tang ◽  
Zhi-guo Chen ◽  
Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry ◽  
Hao Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tensile Behavior ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Desiccation Cracking ◽  
Cracking Process

Fracture Simulation of Randomly Cracked Material with Various Crack Length Distributions

2004 ◽  
Vol 261-263 ◽  
pp. 1055-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazushi Sato ◽  
Toshiyuki Hashida
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Length ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Tensile Load ◽  
Uniaxial Tensile ◽  
Cracking Behavior ◽  
Fracture Simulation ◽  
Elastic Fracture ◽  
Crack Length Distribution

In this paper, cracking behavior of distributed microcracks is discussed using a numerical simulation. The microcracks are initially distributed in a rectangle region. The directions and locations of the cracks are chosen at random. Three kinds of length distributions are used, such as a uniform length, a random length distribution and a fractal length distribution. The crack propagations from the initially distributed cracks are analyzed under a uniaxial tensile load using liner elastic fracture mechanics. The global behaviors of various crack distribution are studied. Results obtained from the numerical calculations indicate that the effect of the crack length distribution is minor in term of the macroscopic behavior of the cracked body.

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