Cyclic Simple Shear Apparatus for Low-Strain Soil Tests

1996 ◽  
Vol 1548 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather J. Miller ◽  
Pedro de Alba ◽  
Kenneth C. Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Simple Shear ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Cyclic Shear ◽  
Aging Period ◽  
Direct Simple Shear ◽  
Fabric Evolution ◽  
Excess Pore Pressures

A testing system has been developed to study the behavior of saturated sand under low-level cyclic shearing strains. The system has been used to determine threshold shear strain levels for fabric destruction in sand aged for different time periods. The system includes a special soil chamber and a direct simple shear (DSS) machine. To impose very small shearing strains, the DSS machine was designed to apply and measure horizontal deformations as small as 0.0005 mm (2 × 10−5 inches). Data obtained to date support the results of previous investigators who performed triaxial tests on freshly deposited samples, indicating a threshold cyclic shear strain level of approximately 0.01 percent. At strains in excess of those levels, destruction of the sand fabric occurred, as evidenced by a reduction in shear modulus at low strain levels. Subsequent modest increases in shear modulus were observed after the specimens were allowed to recover for 24 hours and then tested again. During the recovery period, drainage valves were left open to allow for dissipation of excess pore pressures and for potential consolidation during the short aging period. The DSS system was found to work well for low strain measurements. Furthermore, since shear strains are measured directly under DSS conditions (as opposed to triaxial conditions), the DSS system shows much promise as a device for studying parameters that may influence threshold shear strain levels and fabric evolution and destruction in sands.

Dynamic deformation characteristics of sands and rockfill materials

1993 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 747-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nario Yasuda ◽  
Norihisa Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Simple Shear ◽  
Void Ratio ◽  
Dynamic Deformation ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Intermediate Principal Stress ◽  
Deformation Characteristics ◽  
Confining Stress ◽  
Rockfill Materials

Cyclic torsional simple shear (CTSS) tests and cyclic triaxial (CTX) tests were carried out to investigate the dynamic deformation characteristics of sands and rockfill materials. It was found that the shear modulus and damping ratio can be expressed as a function of shear strain, void ratio, and confining stress. Also the shear modulus in CTSS tests is larger than in CTX tests because of the influence of the intermediate principal stress. When the shear strain is increased, the shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (h) of the rockfill materials were altered at smaller strains than in sands. Key words : sands, rockfill materials, torsional simple shear, shear modulus, damping ratio.

Cyclic shear strength of a loose glacial till

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-407
Author(s):  
Guy Lefebvre ◽  
Serge Malenfant
Keyword(s):  
Simple Shear ◽  
Glacial Till ◽  
Silty Sand ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Cyclic Triaxial ◽  
Cyclic Triaxial Tests ◽  
Cyclic Shear ◽  
Testing Procedures

The liquefaction potential of a loose glacial till is assessed by laboratory cyclic tests and by comparison with test results obtained on a clean sand, using the same testing procedures. The laboratory testing program of both soils included cyclic triaxial tests on saturated specimens and constant volume cyclic simple shear tests on dry specimens. The till and the sand exhibited very similar behaviour during cycling and mobilized nearly identical cyclic shear strengths in the triaxial as well as in the simple shear tests. The 28% fines content in the till did not make it more resistant to liquefaction than a clean sand. Key words: liquefaction, sand, silty sand, cyclic simple shear test, cyclic triaxial test.

Response spectrum-based seismic response of bridge embankments

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 1639-1651
Author(s):  
Juan-Carlos Carvajal ◽  
William D. Liam Finn ◽  
Carlos Estuardo Ventura
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Seismic Response ◽  
Response Spectrum ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Stress Profile ◽  
Cyclic Shear ◽  
Equivalent Linear ◽  
Design Response Spectrum ◽  
Peak Shear Stress

A single degree of freedom model is presented for calculating the free-field seismic response of bridge embankments due to horizontal ground shaking using equivalent linear analysis and a design response spectrum. The shear wave velocity profile, base flexibility, 2D shape, and damping ratio of the embankment are accounted for in the model. A step-by-step procedure is presented for calculating the effective cyclic shear strain of the embankment, equivalent homogeneous shear modulus and damping ratio, fundamental period of vibration, peak crest acceleration, peak shear stress profile, peak shear strain profile, equivalent linear shear modulus profile, and peak relative displacement profile. Model calibration and verification of the proposed procedure is carried out with linear, equivalent linear, and nonlinear finite element analysis for embankments with fundamental periods of vibration between 0.1 and 1.0 s. The proposed model is simple, rational, and suitable for practical implementation using spreadsheets for a preliminary design phase of bridge embankments.

scholarly journals Effect of Sand Fouling on the Dynamic Properties and Volume Change of Gravel During Cyclic Loadings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meysam Bayat
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Volume Change ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Confining Pressure ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Large Shear Strain

Understanding the factors that influence the dynamic behavior of granular soils during cyclic loading is critical to infrastructure design. Previous research has lacked quantitative study of the effects of fouling index (FI), mean effective confining pressure, relative density, shear strain level and anisotropic consolidation, especially when the effective vertical stress is lower than the effective horizontal stress on the dynamic behavior of gravelly soils. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the dynamic behavior and volume change of both clean and fouled specimens for practical applications. To this end, cyclic triaxial tests with local strain measurements under both isotropic and anisotropic confining conditions were conducted. It is found that the fouled specimen with 50 % sand (i.e. the specimen which contains 50 % gravel and 50 % sand) has the highest shear modulus at low shear strain levels and the largest volume reduction and damping ratio at large shear strain levels. The results of tests indicate that the effect of fouling index on the shear modulus is reduced at large shear strain levels. Volumetric contraction due to the increase in mean effective confining pressure is more significant at large shear strain levels. The results also indicate that the stiffness of the specimens under anisotropic compression mode are larger than those in extension or isotropic mode.

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.

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.

Strain Accumulation Procedure During Staged Cyclic Loading of Carbonate Sediments

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Boukpeti ◽  
Barry Lehane ◽  
J. Antonio H. Carraro
Keyword(s):  
Shear Stress ◽  
Cyclic Loading ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Simple Shear ◽  
Soil Strength ◽  
Carbonate Sediments ◽  
Strain Accumulation ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Cyclic Shear ◽  
North West

Design of offshore foundation systems requires assessment of the effects of cyclic loading on the soil strength. This paper investigates the applicability of the strain accumulation procedure, which is used to assess the effects of wave loading on the soil strength. Staged undrained cyclic simple shear tests were conducted on a carbonate sediment from the North West shelf of Australia, with varying shear stress amplitude in each stage. The shear strain mobilised at the end of the staged tests is compared with the value predicted by the strain accumulation procedure, using shear strain contours constructed from the results of single amplitude undrained cyclic simple shear tests. It was found that the strain accumulation procedure gives adequate prediction for normalised cyclic shear stress less or equal to 0.3, but largely underestimates the cyclic shear strain for normalised cyclic shear stress greater than 0.3 (the cyclic shear stress being normalised by the effective vertical stress at the end of consolidation).

scholarly journals Dynamic Properties of Sand-Sawdust Mixture for Modeling Deposit Soil

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 3863
Author(s):  
Pan ◽  
Li ◽  
Lu ◽  
Chen
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Shaking Table Test ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Strain Range ◽  
Confining Pressure ◽  
Shaking Table ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Hysteresis Curve

Soil mixtures with various materials such as scraps of rubber tire, iron powder, and synthetic fibers have been widely used in civil engineering for experimental research or infrastructure construction and maintenance. However, these materials are not only expensive, but may also result in environmental concerns. In recent years, sawdust, because of its light-weight, inexpensive, and environmental friendly characteristics, has frequently been used in the shaking table test to adjust the dynamic properties of experimental soil. However, the dynamic properties of a sand-sawdust mixture for the shaking table test are still unclear. In this paper, the dynamic properties and the hysteresis curve characteristics of the sand-sawdust mixture as well as the influence of the sawdust content and confining pressure on the dynamic properties were studied using a series of consolidated drained dynamic triaxial tests. The test results show that, with the increase of the shear strain, the shape of the hysteresis loops changes from symmetrical willow-leaf to asymmetry sharp-leaf. For a given confining pressure, both the shear modulus and damping ratio decreases as the sawdust percentage increases. It was observed that, with an increase in confining pressure, the shear modulus increased while the damping ratio decreased slightly in the shear strain range of 10−3 to 7×10−3. It was also observed that the maximum shear modulus increased as the confining pressure increased, while the maximum damping ratio remained nearly constant. In addition, both the maximum shear modulus and the maximum damping ratio decreased as the sawdust content increased. Finally, the normalized shear modulus and damping ratio were established, which can be used in simulations using the shaking table test.

scholarly journals Shear modulus and damping ratio of a nonplastic silt at large shear strains

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 08007
Author(s):  
Alper Sezer ◽  
Eyyub Karakan ◽  
Nazar Tanrinian
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Relative Density ◽  
Shear Strain ◽  
Stress Ratio ◽  
Damping Ratio ◽  
Cyclic Stress ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Cyclic Triaxial ◽  
Cyclic Triaxial Tests ◽  
Cyclic Stress Ratio

Site response analyses and solution of dynamic soil-structure interaction problems need determination of variation of shear modulus and damping ratio with shear strain. Since many studies in literature concern evaluation of behavior of sands and silty sands, a series of cyclic triaxial tests were performed to determine the variation of shear modulus and damping ratio of a nonplastic silt with shear strain. Stress controlled cyclic triaxial tests on silt specimens of initial relative densities ranging among 30%, 50% and 70% were performed. Tests were carried out on identical samples under different CSR levels, and the confining pressure was selected as 100 kPa. Variation of shear modulus and damping ratio of silts with cyclic stress ratio amplitude, relative density and number of cycles were investigated. It was understood that soil relative density and cyclic stress ratio amplitude has a significant influence on shear modulus and damping ratio of silts. It was also observed that, as the cyclic stress ratio amplitude is increased, greater shear modulus and lower damping ratio values were obtained.

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