Pore-water pressure response during undrained isotropic load changes in layered soils

1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-555
Author(s):  
K D Eigenbrod ◽  
W H Wurmnest

Low pore-water pressure responses observed during undrained isotropic loading of thinly interbedded varved clay specimens were related to internal pore-water pressure equalization and internal shearing between soft clay seams and stiff silt layers of the varved clay. Both processes were analyzed in two separate models: a finite element analysis of the layered soil specimen with different elastic properties for each layer showed that shear stresses can develop along the layer interfaces during undrained isotropic loading. However, because the shear stresses are small and restricted to a narrow zone close to the surface of the cylindrical specimen, it appeared that the effect of shearing on the overall pore-water responses is negligible. The analysis of the pore-water pressures during undrained, isotropic loading demonstrated that hydraulic gradients between the two layers will develop. As a result, pore water will drain from the clay into the silt, leading to consolidation of the clay and swelling of the silt seams. The stabilized pore-water pressures should be the same as the pore-water pressures measured for the overall specimen, if the effect of internal shearing is negligible. Comparison of the computed with the measured overall pore-water pressure responses during testing for Skempton's pore-pressure coefficient B indicated reasonable agreement.Key words: Skempton's pore-pressure coefficient B, pore-water pressure response, varved clays, internal shearing, internal pore-water pressure equalization.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Di Wu ◽  
Yuke Wang ◽  
Fei Zhang ◽  
Yue Qiu

The pore-water pressure is a vital factor in determining the slope stability. To deal with the stability of slopes undergoing pore-water pressures, this paper used the pore-water pressure coefficient to develop the three-dimensional limit analysis method for slope stability evaluation with a nonlinear strength envelope. For numerical slope examples, the critical heights and corresponding critical slip surfaces associated with linear and nonlinear envelopes were derived by using a numerical optimization procedure. The influences of pore-water pressures on the slope stability were addressed by comparing the upper-bound solutions derived by linear and nonlinear strength envelopes (the linear and nonlinear results for short). The obtained two critical inclinations between the linear and nonlinear results both decrease and gradually approach with increasing pore-water pressure coefficient. For most slopes subjected to pore-water pressures, using the linear Mohr–Coulomb envelope will obviously overestimate the slope critical height. The overestimation resulted from the linear criterion will become more distinct for slopes with smaller widths. Besides, the presented results showed that the equivalent internal friction angle tends to have a weaker increasing trend for steeper slopes as pore-water pressure coefficient increases. Hence, when pore-water pressure coefficient increases, the critical slip surfaces of gentle slopes with nonlinear strength criteria become shallower, but the critical slip surfaces of steep slopes seem to have no consistent change law. These results and analyses can illustrate the significance of the application of nonlinear strength envelopes in slope stability evaluation considering pore-water pressures and provide certain reference advice in slope engineering design and landslide prevention.


2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1294-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabil Sultan ◽  
Sara Lafuerza

Excess pore-water pressure has a significant effect on submarine slope stability and sediment deformation, and therefore its in situ equilibrium measurement is crucial in carrying out accurate slope stability assessments and accurately deriving geotechnical design parameters. In situ equilibrium pore-water pressure is usually obtained from pore pressure decay during piezocone tests. However, submarine shelves and slopes are often characterized by the existence of low-permeability (fine-grained) sediments involving long dissipation tests that are an important issue for offshore operational costs. Consequently, short-term and (or) partial dissipation tests are usually performed and in situ equilibrium pore-water pressures are predicted from partial measurements. Using a modified cavity expansion approach, this paper aims to predict for four different sites the in situ equilibrium pore-water pressures. Comparisons between predicted and observed in situ equilibrium pore-water pressures allowed the development of a guide to evaluate the minimum time required to perform short-term dissipation tests for a given marine sediment. The main finding of this Note is that the second derivative of the pore pressure, u, versus the logarithm of time, t, ∂2u/∂ln(t)2 must be positive to calculate accurately the in situ equilibrium pore-water pressures from partial measurements.


1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Eigenbrod ◽  
J.-P. Burak ◽  
J. Graham

Slow, recurring downslope movements in northern climates are frequently referred to as "creep movements," and are usually related to outwards freezing followed by vertical thawing movements. An alternative mechanism is examined in the reported test data.Undisturbed block samples of proglacial clay from a slope near yellowknife, N.W.T., have been tested by cyclically varying the pore-water pressure in triaxial specimens by an amount Δu, and measuring the resulting strains per cycle. The specimens were initially anisotropically consolidated with normal and shear stresses corresponding to those in the moving mantle. Drainage was permitted throughout the testing. This procedure represents changes that can occur in a natural slope from (a) seasonal groundwater level changes and (b) elevated pore-water pressures that accompany thawing. After 60–100 cycles, the pore-water pressure was systematically increased to the value Δuf at which the samples failed. This occurred on a steep, low-stress envelope, approximately c′ = 4 KPa, [Formula: see text]. The envelope is probably controlled by the nuggety macrostructure of the clay and appears to be slightly to the left of the [Formula: see text] locus.The strains per cycle were approximately linear in the range 30–100 cycles. As a first approximation they have been modelled as varying linearly with the ratio Δu/Δuf almost up to failure at Δu/Δuf = 1.0. Key words: downslope creep, solifluction, slope stability, clay, pore-water pressure, cyclic loading, low-stress failure.


2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Illias Tsaparas ◽  
Harianto Rahardjo ◽  
David G Toll ◽  
Eng-Choon Leong

This paper presents the analysis of a 12 month long field study of the infiltration characteristics of two residual soil slopes in Singapore. The field measurements consist of rainfall data, runoff data of natural and simulated rainfall events, and pore-water pressure changes during infiltration at several depths and at several locations on the two slopes. The analysis of the field measurements identifies the total rainfall and the initial pore-water pressures within the two slopes as the controlling parameters for the changes in the pore-water pressures within the slopes during infiltration.Key words: infiltration, rainfall, runoff, pore-water pressure, field measurements.


1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-116
Author(s):  
K. D. Eigenbrod ◽  
J. P. Burak

Anchor forces, ground temperatures, and piezometric pressures were measured at a retaining wall in northwestern Ontario over a period of 2 years. The anchor forces were measured with strain gauges attached in pairs directly to the anchor rods. This method appeared practical in the field for time periods of less than 2 years as long as the strain gauges were carefully protected against moisture. The anchor forces increased from an average of 5 kN initially up to values of 50 kN during the winter periods and dropped during the summer periods back to the same values measured initially. The anchor forces were largely independent of pore-water pressure variations behind the wall. Rapid drawdown conditions, however, which were experienced during the second summer, were reflected in a load increase that was equivalent to the associated unloading effect in front of the wall. The pore-water pressures behind the wall were not noticeably affected by rapid drawdown, possibly due to the restraining effect of the anchors and the high rigidity of the low sheet pile wall. Ground temperatures at or below the groundwater table never dropped below 0 °C thus restricting the depth of frost penetration. Key words : anchor loads, freezing pressure, retaining walls, pore-water pressures, ground temperatures, field measurements.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 1756-1768
Author(s):  
Jahanzaib Israr ◽  
Buddhima Indraratna

This paper presents results from a series of piping tests carried out on a selected range of granular filters under static and cyclic loading conditions. The mechanical response of filters subjected to cyclic loading could be characterized in three distinct phases; namely, (I) pre-shakedown, (II) post-shakedown, and (III) post-critical (i.e., the occurrence of internal erosion). All the permanent geomechanical changes such, as erosion, permeability variations, and axial strain developments, took place during phases I and III, while the specimen response remained purely elastic during phase II. The post-critical occurrence of erosion incurred significant settlement that may not be tolerable for high-speed railway substructures. The analysis revealed that a cyclic load would induce excess pore-water pressure, which, in corroboration with steady seepage forces and agitation due to dynamic loading, could then cause internal erosion of fines from the specimens. The resulting excess pore pressure is a direct function of the axial strain due to cyclic densification, as well as the loading frequency and reduction in permeability. A model based on strain energy is proposed to quantify the excess pore-water pressure, and subsequently validated using current and existing test results from published studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 20210008
Author(s):  
Yawu Liang ◽  
Nicholas Beier ◽  
D. C. Sego

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Huang ◽  
Kejun Wen ◽  
Dongsheng Li ◽  
Xiaojia Deng ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
...  

The unloading creep behavior of soft soil under lateral unloading stress path and excess pore water pressure is the core problem of time-dependent analysis of surrounding rock deformation under excavation of soft soil. The soft soil in Shenzhen, China, was selected in this study. The triaxial unloading creep tests of soft soil under different initial excess pore water pressures (0, 20, 40, and 60 kPa) were conducted with the K0 consolidation and lateral unloading stress paths. The results show that the unloading creep of soft soil was divided into three stages: attenuation creep, constant velocity creep, and accelerated creep. The duration of creep failure is approximately 5 to 30 mins. The unloading creep behavior of soft soil is significantly affected by the deviatoric stress and time. The nonlinearity of unloading creep of soft soil is gradually enhanced with the increase of the deviatoric stress and time. The initial excess pore water pressure has an obvious weakening effect on the unloading creep of soft soil. Under the same deviatoric stress, the unloading creep of soft soil is more significant with the increase of initial excess pore water pressure. Under undrained conditions, the excess pore water pressure generally decreases during the lateral unloading process and drops sharply at the moment of unloading creep damage. The pore water pressure coefficients during the unloading process were 0.73–1.16, 0.26–1.08, and 0.35–0.96, respectively, corresponding to the initial excess pore water pressures of 20, 40, and 60 kPa.


1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (145) ◽  
pp. 495-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan A. Piotrowski ◽  
Anna M. Kraus

AbstractLaboratory tests on sediment over-ridden by the last ice sheet in north-western Germany reveal very low ice-induced pre-consolidation and high palaeo-pore-water pressures. Sediment consolidation at the base of the glacier was largely controlled by hydraulic properties of the substratum. Generally low permeabilities of the bed caused sustained high pore-water pressure in over-ridden sediments close to the flotation point. This implies a serious possibility of hydraulic lifting of the ice sheet. It is believed that the reduced basal coupling limited the transformation of glacier shear stress on to the bed sediments, which is indicated by a lack of sedimentological evidence for widespread pervasive bed deformation. Ice motion was probably focused at the glacier sole by some combination of sliding and ploughing. However, isolated spots with deformation occur, so that the subglacial system in the study area can be characterized as a stable/deforming mosaic.


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


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