TIME TO THE END OF PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION (EOP) OF SOFT CLAYEY SOILS: CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF ATTERBERG’S LIMIT AND CYCLIC LOADING HISTORY

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.

Author(s):  
An ◽  
Hiroshi ◽  
Nhan ◽  
Nhan ◽  
Tien ◽  
...  

In this study, changes in the pore water pressure were observed for saturated specimens of a loose fined-grain sand (Nam O sand) and a soft silty clay (Hue clay) subjected to undrained cyclic shearing with different testing conditions. The cyclic shear tests were run for relatively wide range of shear strain amplitude (g = 0.05%-2%), different cycle numbers (n = 10, 50, 150 and 200) and various shear directions (uni-direction and two-direction with phase difference of q = 0o, 45o and 90o). It is indicated from the experimental results that under the same cyclic shearing condition, the pore water pressure accumulation in Hue clay is at a slower rate, suggesting a higher cyclic shear resistance of Hue clay than that of Nam O sand. Liquefaction is reached easily in nominally 50% relative density specimens of Nam O sand when g ³ 0.4%, meanwhile soft specimen of Hue clay is not liquefied regardless of the cyclic shearing conditions used in this study. The threshold number of cycles for the pore water pressure generation generally decreases with g meanwhile, the threshold cumulative shear strain for such a property mostly approaches 0.1%. In addition, by using this new strain path parameter, it becomes more advantageous when evaluating the pore water pressure accumulation in Nam O sand and Hue clay subjected to undrained uni-directional and two-directional cyclic shears.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-104
Author(s):  
Tran Thanh Nhan ◽  
Hiroshi Matsuda

In this study, normally consolidated specimens on four clays with a wide range of Atterberg’s limits were tested by applying several series of undrained multi-directional cyclic shear followed by drainage. The cyclic shear tests were carried out under the shear strain amplitudes (γ = 0.05%-2.00%), number of cycles n = 200 and the phase difference θ = 90o. Then the accumulation of cyclic shear-induced pore water pressure and the post-cyclic settlement in strain (εv, %) were observed and discussed. In conclusion, it is clarified that the pore water pressure ratio (Udyn/σ’vo) increases with g and the soils with higher Atterberg’s limits show lower Udyn/σ’vo, and under the multi-directional cyclic shear strain at γ > 0.4%, Hue clay and Kaolinite clay with relatively low plasticity suffer from cyclic failure. In addition, the post-cyclic settlement has a tendency of decreasing with the Atterberg’s limits in the range of plasticity index from Ip = 25.5 to 63.8, meanwhile when Ip < 25.5, different tendencies were observed e.g., Hue clay (with lower Ip) shows a smaller settlement compared with those on Kaolin (with higher Ip). Furthermore, the threshold number of cycles (ntp) and cumulative shear strain (G*tp) for pore water pressure buildup were then clarified.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 21-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Kalinowska ◽  
Małgorzata Jastrzębska

Abstract The subject of the paper comprises tests of cohesive soil subjected to low-frequency cyclic loading with constant strain amplitude. The main aim of the research is to define a failure criteria for cohesive soils subjected to this type of load. Tests of undrained cyclic shear were carried out in a triaxial apparatus on normally consolidated reworked soil samples made of kaolinite clay from Tułowice. Analysis of the results includes the influence of number of load cycles on the course of effective stress paths, development of excess pore water pressure and stress deviator value. Observed regularities may seem surprising. The effective stress path initially moves away from the boundary surface and only after a certain number of load-unload cycles change of its direction occurs and it starts to move consequently towards the surface. At the same time, it has been observed that pore water pressure value decreases at the beginning and after few hundred cycles increases again. It is a typical behaviour for overconsolidated soil, while test samples are normally consolidated. Additionally, a similar change in deviator stress value has been observed - at first it decreases and later, with subsequent cycles, re-increases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-107
Author(s):  
M. Jastrzebska

Abstract The subject of the paper comprises a cohesive soil response to a cyclic loading applied in the range of small strains (10-5 ÷ 10-3). To this end tests of undrained cyclic shear in a triaxial compression apparatus were carried out on homogeneous material - kaoline from Tułowice. The tests were carried out on a modernised test bed, enabling full saturation of samples using the back pressure method, as well as a precise, intra-chamber measurement of small strains. Maintaining a constant deviatoric stress amplitude for NC and OC soils, the effect of its size (A = 0.75 Δq or A = 0.375 Δq) as well as the influence of strain rate on material characteristics “deviatoric stress (excess pore water pressure) - axial strain” and effective stress paths were tested. While analysing the results obtained, a phenomenon of closing and stabilising initially open and moving loops were found, in contrast to proposal by Jardine [8]. The observed increments in the axial strain during cyclic loading operation, at the same levels of lateral effective stress, were greater for normally consolidated than for overconsolidated soils. At the same time, at each next cycle, these increments were smaller and smaller, assuming even the value equal to zero for the tenth cycle. Similar relationships occurred during the increase in the pore water pressure during the cyclic load action. For the set number of cycles n = 10 they were that small - max. 46% (and decreasing with each consecutive cycle) that they did not result in weakening of the material. Taking the trend of decreasing Δu increments into account it was possible to accept that the conclusion considered was right irrespective of the cycles’ number.


2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1460-1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dharma Wijewickreme ◽  
Achala Soysa

The cyclic shear response of soils is commonly examined using undrained (or constant-volume) laboratory element tests conducted using triaxial and direct simple shear (DSS) devices. The cyclic resistance ratio (CRR) from these tests is expressed in terms of the number of cycles of loading to reach unacceptable performance that is defined in terms of the attainment of a certain excess pore-water pressure and (or) strain level. While strain accumulation is generally commensurate with excess pore-water pressure, the definition of unacceptable performance in laboratory tests based purely on cyclic strain criteria is not robust. The shear stiffness is a more fundamental parameter in describing engineering performance than the excess pore-water pressure alone or shear strain alone; so far, no criterion has considered shear stiffness to determine CRR. Data from cyclic DSS tests indicate consistent differences inherent in the patterns between the stress–strain loops at initial and later stages of cyclic loading; instead of relatively “smooth” stress–strain loops in the initial parts of loading, nonsmooth changes in incremental stiffness showing “kinks” are notable in the stress–strain loops at large strains. The point of pattern change in a stress–strain loop provides a meaningful basis to determine the CRR (based on unacceptable performance) in cyclic shear tests.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 974-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Mei ◽  
Scott M. Olson ◽  
Youssef M.A. Hashash

Pore-water pressure (PWP) generation can lead to soil softening and liquefaction of sandy soils during earthquakes, with potential influence on site response and seismic design. The authors evaluated the generalized quadratic/hyperbolic (GQ/H) constitutive model, which captures small-strain stiffness, large-strain shear strength, and is coupled with a widely used cyclic strain–based PWP generation model (termed GQ/H+u). A suite of cyclic direct simple shear tests with a range of relative densities (∼30%–80%) and effective vertical stresses (∼25–200 kPa) and dynamic centrifuge tests with liquefiable sands were used to evaluate the ability of the GQ/H+u model to simulate cyclic soil behavior. Results indicate that GQ/H+u provides reasonable estimates of PWP increase during cyclic shear, with differences between measured and computed excess PWP ratios (ru) for both element and centrifuge tests generally smaller than 0.1. Computed spectral accelerations are comparable to centrifuge test measurements, with almost no bias at medium to long periods (T > 0.4 s) when the computed maximum shear strain (γmax) was smaller than the limit shear strain (γlimit). When computed ru > 0.8 and computed γmax > γlimit, spectral accelerations may be underestimated at both short and long periods as dilative behavior is not captured by GQ/H+u.


2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1341-1357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marie Fleureau ◽  
Jean-Claude Verbrugge ◽  
Pedro J Huergo ◽  
António Gomes Correia ◽  
Siba Kheirbek-Saoud

A relatively large number of drying and wetting tests have been performed on clayey soils compacted at the standard or modified Proctor optimum water content and maximum density and compared with tests on normally consolidated or overconsolidated soils. The results show that drying and wetting paths on compacted soils are fairly linear and reversible in the void ratio or water content versus negative pore-water pressure planes. On the wet side of the optimum, the wetting paths are independent of the compaction water content and can be approached by compaction tests with measurement of the negative pore-water pressure. Correlations have been established between the liquid limit of the soils and such properties as the optimum water content and negative pore-water pressure, the maximum dry density, and the swelling or drying index. Although based on a limited number of tests, these correlations provide a fairly good basis to model the drying–wetting paths when all the necessary data are not available.Key words: compaction, unsaturated soils, clays, drying, wetting, Proctor conditions.


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