scholarly journals Cyclic Loading Test for the Small-Strain Shear Modulus of Saturated Soft Clay and Its Failure Mechanism

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Zhende Zhu ◽  
Cong Zhang ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Duan Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Shear Stress ◽  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Effective Stress ◽  
Soft Clay ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Loading Test ◽  
Cyclic Shear ◽  
Small Strain Shear Modulus ◽  
Saturated Soft Clay

Small-strain shear modulus, G max , is a key evaluation index to study the dynamic characteristics of soil in geotechnical engineering. It is widely adopted to evaluate the stiffness of soft soil in soil dynamic engineering. In this paper, the cyclic triaxial tests and resonance column tests were carried out to explore the variation of G max of soft clay with respect to various confining stresses, cyclic shear stress ratios, pore pressures, and effective stress paths. Test results indicated that the effective stress decreased gradually with the increase of the cycle shear stress ratio. The failure points were mainly concentrated in a rectangular area, defined by the normalized effective stress from 0.56 to 0.64 and the normalized shear modulus from 0.72 to 0.78. Additionally, a short pause caused a small increase of 1-2% in G max as well as pore pressure. This study demonstrates that G max can be effectively used to characterize the failure of saturated soft clay in a more intuitive and convenient way, compared to the commonly used strain failure standards.

scholarly journals A semi-empirical relationship for the small-strain shear modulus of soft clays

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 04005
Author(s):  
Vashish Taukoor ◽  
Cassandra J. Rutherford ◽  
Scott M. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Effective Stress ◽  
Void Ratio ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
High Plasticity ◽  
Bender Element ◽  
Stress History ◽  
Small Strain Shear Modulus ◽  
Semi Empirical

The small-strain shear modulus (Gmax) is a soil property that has many practical applications. The authors compiled a database of Gmax measurements for 40 normally consolidated to slightly overconsolidated low to high plasticity clays. Using these data, the authors propose a semi-empirical relationship between Gmax, effective stress (σ'v or σ'c), preconsolidation stress (σ'p) and in-situ void ratio (e0) for four ranges of plasticity index (Ip): Ip < 30%, 30% ≤ Ip < 50%, 50% ≤ Ip < 80% and 80% ≤ Ip < 120%. With results from bender element tests on a Gulf of Mexico clay subjected to multiple load-unload consolidation loops, the authors were able to validate the proposed relationships for 30% ≤ Ip < 50% and 50% ≤ Ip < 80%. The proposed relationship for 30% ≤ Ip < 50% and 50% ≤ Ip < 80% captures changes in laboratory Gmax resulting from variations in effective stress (σ'c), maximum past stress (σ'v,max), and void ratio. The proposed relationships are a simple and efficient tool that can provide independent insight on Gmax if the stress history of a clay is known, or on stress history if Gmax is known.

Effects of current suction ratio and recent suction history on small-strain behaviour of an unsaturated soil

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.W.W. Ng ◽  
J. Xu
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Unsaturated Soil ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Stress History ◽  
Reduction Curve ◽  
Small Strain Shear Modulus ◽  
Suction History ◽  
Modulus Reduction

Although the small-strain shear modulus of saturated soils is known to be significantly affected by stress history, consisting of the overconsolidation ratio (OCR) and recent stress history, the effects of suction history on the small-strain shear modulus of unsaturated soils have rarely been reported. In this study, the effects of suction history, which refers to current suction ratio (CSR) and recent suction history, on both the very-small-strain shear modulus (G0) and shear modulus reduction curve of an unsaturated soil, are investigated by carrying out constant net mean stress compression triaxial tests with bender elements and local strain measurements. In addition, the effect of suction magnitude on G0 and the shear modulus reduction curve is also investigated. At a given suction, G0, elastic threshold strain (εe), and the rate of shear modulus reduction all increase with CSR. On the other hand, the effect of recent suction history on G0 is not significant. The effect of direction of recent suction path (θ) on the shear modulus reduction curve is not distinct. However, the magnitude of recent suction path (l) affects the shear modulus reduction curve significantly when θ = –90°.

Simple shear testing of sensitive, very soft offshore clay for wide strain range

2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1277-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Lanzo ◽  
A. Pagliaroli ◽  
P. Tommasi ◽  
F. L. Chiocci
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Simple Shear ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Soft Clay ◽  
Strain Range ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
Cyclic Shear ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Equivalent Shear Modulus ◽  
Two Stages

Stiffness and damping properties of sensitive, very soft clay sediments of the Italian Adriatic continental shelf are determined by means of two series of cyclic simple shear tests (one with 12 stages and one with two stages). The apparatus used in this research is capable of investigating the stress–strain behaviour of the soil in a wide range of shear strains from about 0.0004% to 1%. Test results were expressed in terms of small-strain shear modulus (G0), normalized equivalent shear modulus (Geq/G0), and damping ratio (D) versus cyclic shear-strain amplitude (γc). These parameters were analyzed in the framework of existing literature by comparison with empirical correlations developed for onshore materials of different plasticity and, limited to G0, also for soft soils. The dependence of G0, Geq/G0–γc, and D–γc on factors such as void ratio, stress history, and loading cycles is analyzed and discussed.

Study on Reinforce Saturated Soft Clay Foundation with Dynamic Consolidation by Drainage

2013 ◽  
Vol 438-439 ◽  
pp. 1171-1175
Author(s):  
Zhi Li Sui ◽  
Zhao Guang Li ◽  
Xu Peng Wang ◽  
Wen Li Li ◽  
Tie Jun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Pore Water ◽  
Pore Water Pressure ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Soft Clay ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Good Effect ◽  
Loading Test ◽  
Test Plate ◽  
Dynamic Consolidation ◽  
Saturated Soft Clay

Dynamic consolidation method has been widely used in improving soft land, but always inefficient to saturated soft clay land, which is hard to improve, and even leads to rubber soil. Dynamic and drain consolidation method will deal with it well, with drainage system, pore-water can be expelled instantly from saturated soft clay as impacting. The pore-water pressure and earth pressure test in construction, the standard penetration test, plate loading test, geotechnical test after construction, which are all effective methods for effect testing. There is a comprehensive detection through different depth of soil layer with different detecting means on construction site. The results show that improving saturated soft clay land with dynamic and drain consolidation method has obtained good effect, and the fruit can be guidance for such construction in the future.

Bender Element Measurement for Small-Strain Shear Modulus of Compacted Loess

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 04021063
Author(s):  
Fangtong Wang ◽  
Dianqing Li ◽  
Wenqi Du ◽  
Chia Zarei ◽  
Yong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
Bender Element ◽  
Small Strain Shear Modulus ◽  
Compacted Loess
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