Behaviour of sands under generalized drainage boundary conditions

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siva Sivathayalan ◽  
Paramaguru Logeswaran

An experimental study of the behaviour of sands under generalized drainage boundary conditions is presented. The influence of partially drained conditions, which generally is a reflection of the loading rate and the permeability of the soil, has been studied by limiting the volumetric deformation between drained and undrained states. The effect of potential pore-pressure variations in situ has been assessed by simulating various levels of volumetric deformation during shear. Conventional drained and undrained tests were also carried out on the same sands to enable a direct evaluation of the effect of drainage. A triaxial device with the ability to control strain-paths was used to carry out the tests, and all tests were performed under compression loading with no change in total lateral stress. A systematic change in the stress–strain response was noted as the drainage conditions gradually change from drained to undrained. The maximum excess pore pressure generated owing to inhibition of drainage is almost linearly related to the amount of drainage blocked. These results support the contention that the undrained state may not represent the most damaging scenario under field loading conditions. Much smaller minimum shear strength values compared with the undrained strength were measured when pore-pressure boundary conditions caused expansive volume changes. The domain of strain-softening response, and hence liquefaction susceptibility, increased owing to such loading.Key words: partial drainage, liquefaction, strain softening, laboratory testing, soil mechanics.


2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1310-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sivathayalan ◽  
P. Logeswaran

An experimental study of the behaviour of an alluvial sand under different strain increment paths representing shear–volume coupled deformation is presented. Both pore pressure and pore volume change simultaneously in these tests. Linear strain paths with different levels of limiting volumetric strain and nonlinear strain paths that simulate different pore pressure boundary conditions were applied to the soil specimen in the laboratory. The strain paths imposed included both expansive and contractive volumetric deformation. Nonuniform excess pore pressures generated during earthquakes (on account of the heterogeneity in natural soils) often lead to such deformation in situ following the end of strong shaking. The shear strength of the soil could decrease significantly when the pore pressure boundary conditions result in volume inflow that leads to a considerable reduction of the effective confining stress. The rate of volume inflow plays a significant role on the resulting stress–strain and pore pressure responses. Both the peak and the minimum shear strength mobilized during the test were significantly dependent on the strain path. The effective stress ratio at the instant of peak pore pressure is independent of the strain path followed, and it is equal to the effective stress ratio noted at the instant of phase transformation in undrained tests.







2012 ◽  
Vol 446-449 ◽  
pp. 1940-1943
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Hong Xiang Yan

Numerical simulation of vibro-stone column is taken to simulate the installation of vibro-stone column. A relationship based on test is adopted to calculate the excess pore pressure induced by vibratory energy during the installation of vibro-stone column. A numerical procedure is developed based on the formula and Terzaghi-Renduric consolidation theory. Finally numerical results of composite stone column are compared single stone column.



1993 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 609-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Darrag ◽  
M.A. El Tawil




2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Mencaroni ◽  
Roger Urgeles ◽  
Jonathan Ford ◽  
Jaume Llopart ◽  
Cristina Sànchez Serra ◽  
...  

<p>Contourite deposits are generated by the interplay between deepwater bottom-currents, sediment supply and seafloor topography. The Gulf of Cadiz, in the Southwest Iberian margin, is a famous example of extensive contourite deposition driven by the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW), which exits the Strait of Gibraltar, flows northward following the coastline and distributes the sediments coming from the Guadalquivir and Guadiana rivers. The MOW and related contourite deposits affect the stability of the SW Iberian margin in several ways: on one hand it increases the sedimentation rate, favoring the development of excess pore pressure, while on the other hand, by depositing sand it allows pore water pressure to dissipate, potentially increasing the stability of the slope.</p><p>In the Gulf of Cadiz, grain size distribution of contourite deposits is influenced by the seafloor morphology, which splits the MOW in different branches, and by the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods that affected the MOW hydrodynamic regimes. Fine clay packages alternates with clean sand formations according to the capacity of transport of the bottom-current in a specific area. Generally speaking, coarser deposits are found in the areas of higher MOW flow energy, such as in the shallower part of the slope or in the area closer to the Strait of Gibraltar, while at higher water depths the sedimentation shifts to progressively finer grain sizes as the MOW gets weaker. Previous works show that at present-day the MOW flows at a maximum depth of 1400 m, while during glacial periods the bottom-current could have reached higher depths.</p><p>In this study we derived the different maximum depths at which the MOW flowed by analyzing the distribution of sands at different depths along the Alentejo basin slope, in the Northern sector of the Gulf of Cadiz.</p><p>Here we show how changes in sand distribution along slope, within the stratigraphic units deposited between the Neogene and the present day, are driven by glacial – interglacial period alternation that influenced the hydrodynamic regime of the MOW.</p><p>By deriving the depositional history of sand in the Alentejo basin, we are able to correlate directly the influence that climatic cycles had on the MOW activity. Furthermore, by interpreting new multi-channel seismic profiles we have been able to derive a detailed facies characterization of the uppermost part of the Gulf of Cadiz.</p><p>An accurate definition of sand distribution along slope plays an important role in evaluating the stability of the slope itself, e.g. to understand if the sediments may be subjected to excess pore pressure generation. As sand distribution is a direct function of the bottom-current transport capacity, the ultimate goal of this study is to understand how climate variations can affect the stability of submarine slope by depositing contourite-related sand.</p>



Geofluids ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Ming Lin ◽  
Jian-Hong Wu ◽  
Erik Sunarya

A new consolidated undrained ring shear test capable of measuring the pore pressures is presented to investigate the initiation mechanism of the Hsien-du-shan rock avalanche, triggered by Typhoon Morakot, in southern Taiwan. The postpeak state of the landslide surface between the Tangenshan sandstone and the remolded landslide gouge is discussed to address the unstable geomorphological precursors observed before the landslide occurred. Experimental results show that the internal friction angle of the high water content sliding surface in the total stress state, between 25.3 and 26.1°, clarifies the reason of the stable slope prior to Typhoon Morakot. In addition, during the ring shear tests, it is observed that the excess pore pressure is generated by the shear contractions of the sliding surface. The remolded landslide gouge, sheared under the high normal stress, rendered results associated with high shear strength, small shear contraction, low hydraulic conductivity, and continuous excess pore pressure. The excess pore pressure feedback at the sliding surface may have accelerated the landslide.



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