Electroosmotic strengthening of soft sensitive clays

1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Y. Lo ◽  
I. I. Inculet ◽  
K. S. Ho

A comprehensive experimental investigation on the electroosmotic strengthening of soft sensitive clay was performed to assess the effectiveness of the treatment and to study the mechanism of the process. A specially designed electroosmotic cell was developed to prevent gas accumulation near the electrodes, to allow better electrode-soil contact, and to improve the treatment efficiency. This apparatus also enables the monitoring of the generated negative pore-water pressure along the sample length, settlement, voltage distribution, and current variation during treatment. The investigation covered two different types of soil trimmed at different orientations: the vertically and horizontally trimmed overconsolidated Wallaceburg clay and the vertically trimmed slightly overconsolidated soft sensitive Gloucester (Leda) clay. Results of this study showed that the voltage distribution and induced negative pore pressure at equilibrium along the sample are linear with steady current flow across the sample, indicating that the electrode design in the electroosmosis test apparatus is efficient. The electroosmotic consolidation curve is similar to that of the conventional consolidation curve, and the preconsolidation pressure was increased by 51–88% with an applied voltage up to 6 V. The undrained shear strength increased to a maximum of 172%, and the moisture content decreased by 30%. The technique of electrode reversal is employed, and a relatively uniform strength increase between the electrodes is observed. Key words: electroosmosis, electroosmotic cell, soft sensitive clay, negative pore-water pressure, preconsolidation pressure, stress–strain behaviour.

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 831-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Karl Sauer ◽  
E. A. Christiansen

Soft, intertill, glaciolacustrine clays are of concern for stability of slopes and foundations. An intertill clay deposit between 32 and 54 m below the surface was continuously cored. Index properties were determined for 46 samples and 10 samples were tested on the oedometer. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that the glaciolacustrine clay (Blaine Lake Member), lying between the till of the Sutherland and Saskatoon groups, was glaciated three times. However, preconsolidation pressures of this intertill clay show the degree of consolidation is less than 20% based on a total stress from an estimated ice thickness extrapolated from the Cypress Hills. This low preconsolidation pressure suggests there was insufficient time for dissipation of excess pore-water pressure created by thickening of the advancing glacier. Key words: preconsolidation pressure, excess pore-water pressure, glaciers, intertill clay.


1968 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
W J Eden ◽  
H B Poorooshasb

A 26 ft. high approach fill was constructed in November 1959 for a bridge over the Rideau river near Kars, Ontario. The fill was placed over 50 ft. of Leda clay, the lower 30 ft. of which was extremely sensitive and compressible. Prior testing indicated that the preconsolidation pressure of the clay would be exceeded.Settlement gauges and piezometers under the fill have been observed since the start of construction. After 7½ years, 20 in. of settlement has occurred under the centre of the fill. Settlements are continuing at an appreciable rate although the excess pore water pressure has dissipated to a low level and is nearly constant through the clay layer.The field observations of settlement and pore water pressure are compared with values calculated and a closed form solution to the process of consolidation obtained by a heat balance integral technique and by considering the clay layer to be a rigid plastic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Yang Shen ◽  
Jianting Feng ◽  
Yinghao Ma ◽  
Hanlong Liu

Soil voltage is generally assumed to show a linear relationship with distance from the cathode according to the established electroosmotic consolidation equation. However, this assumption is inconsistent with experimental results. To more reasonably reflect the soil consolidation process during electroosmosis treatment, it is necessary to consider the influence of the actual soil voltage distribution trend when establishing the electroosmotic consolidation equation. Electroosmosis results show that soil voltage exhibits nonlinear distribution characteristics against distance from the cathode. The change trend of soil voltage can be well reflected by cubic polynomial fitting. Then, the anodic electrode was taken as the research object, and a two-dimensional horizontal plane model of electroosmosis was established because it represents practical electroosmosis applications more closely than some other models. Based on this established model, the dissipation equation describing the excess pore water pressure and the soil consolidation equation were derived for the electroosmosis treatment process. The derivation process considered both linear and nonlinear soil voltage distributions, wherein the anode was closed and the cathode was open. Finally, the analytical solution was analyzed and validated with model test cases in terms of the excess pore water pressure and average moisture content of the soil. The trend observed in the measured excess pore water pressure was more consistent with that of the theoretical results calculated assuming a nonlinear soil voltage distribution than that obtained using a linear distribution. In addition, the measured values of the average moisture content in the soil were closer to the values calculated under a nonlinear distribution of soil voltage than to those calculated under a linear distribution. These results further show that the established consolidation equation is reasonable when a nonlinear distribution of soil voltage is considered. The proposed consolidation equation can thus improve the application of electroosmotic methods in the future.


Author(s):  
Trần Thanh Nhàn

In order to observe the end of primary consolidation (EOP) of cohesive soils with and without subjecting to cyclic loading, reconstituted specimens of clayey soils at various Atterberg’s limits were used for oedometer test at different loading increments and undrained cyclic shear test followed by drainage with various cyclic shear directions and a wide range of shear strain amplitudes. The pore water pressure and settlement of the soils were measured with time and the time to EOP was then determined by different methods. It is shown from observed results that the time to EOP determined by 3-t method agrees well with the time required for full dissipation of the pore water pressure and being considerably larger than those determined by Log Time method. These observations were then further evaluated in connection with effects of the Atterberg’s limit and the cyclic loading history.


1981 ◽  
Vol 27 (97) ◽  
pp. 503-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian J. Smalley

AbstractRecent investigations have shown that various factors may affect the shear strength of glacial till and that these factors may be involved in the drumlin-forming process. The presence of frozen till in the deforming zone, variation in pore-water pressure in the till, and the occurrence of random patches of dense stony-till texture have been considered. The occurrence of dense stony till may relate to the dilatancy hypothesis and can be considered a likely drumlin-forming factor within the region of critical stress levels. The up-glacier stress level now appears to be the more important, and to provide a sharper division between drumlin-forming and non-drumlin-forming conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Kun ZHANG ◽  
Ze ZHANG ◽  
Xiangyang SHI ◽  
Sihai LI ◽  
Donghui XIAO

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1821-1833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuraddeen Muhammad Babangida ◽  
Muhammad Raza Ul Mustafa ◽  
Khamaruzaman Wan Yusuf ◽  
Mohamed Hasnain Isa

Author(s):  
B. M. Minchew ◽  
C. R. Meyer

Glacier surges are quasi-periodic episodes of rapid ice flow that arise from increases in slip rate at the ice–bed interface. The mechanisms that trigger and sustain surges are not well understood. Here, we develop a new model of incipient surge motion for glaciers underlain by sediments to explore how surges may arise from slip instabilities within a thin layer of saturated, deforming subglacial till. Our model represents the evolution of internal friction, porosity and pore water pressure within the till as functions of the rate and history of shear deformation, and couples the till mechanics to a simple ice-flow model. Changes in pore water pressure govern incipient surge motion, with less permeable till facilitating surging because dilation-driven reductions in pore water pressure slow the rate at which till tends towards a new steady state, thereby allowing time for the glacier to thin dynamically. The reduction of overburden (and thus effective) pressure at the bed caused by dynamic thinning of the glacier sustains surge acceleration in our model. The need for changes in both the hydromechanical properties of the till and the thickness of the glacier creates restrictive conditions for surge motion that are consistent with the rarity of surge-type glaciers and their geographical clustering.


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