Mechanical properties and stress–dilatancy relationships of unsaturated soil under various cyclic loading conditions

Most studies investigating the effect of cyclic loading on soil properties have been conducted for saturated soils. Embankments such as fill dams, roads and railways are usually constructed by unsaturated geo-materials and retained under unsaturated conditions during their in-service periods. Then when the stabilities of the embankments against dynamic motions such as earthquakes and traffic loads are evaluated, it is necessary to account for the cyclic properties of unsaturated soils. However, there are few studies investigating mechanical properties of unsaturated soils under cyclic loadings. There are two objectives in this paper. One objective is to investigate cyclic properties of an unsaturated silt under various cyclic loading conditions, while the other is to investigate the stress–dilatancy relationships; the relation of plastic strain increment ratio, − dεvp/dγp, versus stress ratio, q/p′; and to derive the plastic potential function of the unsaturated silt. Cyclic triaxial compression tests under various loading conditions were performed using the unsaturated silt. The material used is an artificial silty soil named DL clay. It was found from the series of the tests that the stiffness of the soil increased with an increase in suction and the number of cyclic loadings. The total volume reductions in the specimens decreased with an increase in suction. When the numbers of cyclic loadings and suction increased, the dilation also increased. Each unique stress–dilatancy relationship could be found in both loading and unloading processes. The relationships were similar to those of saturated soils under cyclic loadings. A unique plastic potential function could also be derived from the stress–dilatancy relationships.