Bender Element Test and Numerical Simulation of Sliding Zone Soil with Gravels of Huangtupo Landslide

Author(s):  
Yu Chen

<p>In order to study the effect of the different consolidation pressure, loading-unloading path and gravel content on the shear modulus of the small strain of sliding zone soil, a set of consolidation bender element test device was developed. The device consists of three parts: a consolidation system, a deformation measuring system, and a shear wave testing system. The consolidation system is composed of a traditional consolidation instrument and the plexiglass cylinder box. The sample is cylindrical in shape and has a size of 50 mm×50 mm. The consolidation displacement is measured by a digital display micrometer. Shear wave testing system is a wave velocity measurement system made of piezoelectric ceramic. The experimental results show that the device can control the consolidation pressure and measure the vertical deformation, measure the shear wave velocity of the sliding zone soil in real-time, and then study the variation rule of the small strain shear modulus of the sliding zone soil with gravels. The shear modulus of the sliding zone soil increases with an increase in the consolidation pressure. The shear modulus of the unloading of sliding zone soil is larger than that of loading. Under the loading pressure of 200 kPa and 400 kPa, the shear modulus of the sliding zone soil first decreases and then increases with an increase in the gravel content. In the process of unloading, the shear modulus of the sliding zone soil increases with an increase in the gravel content. </p>

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 04002
Author(s):  
Litong Ji ◽  
Abraham C.F. Chiu ◽  
Lu Ma ◽  
Chao Jian

This article presents a laboratory study on the maximum shear modulus of a THF hydrate bearing calcareous sand (CS)–fines mixture. The maximum shear modulus was inferred from the shear wave velocity measured from the bender elements installed in a temperature-controlled triaxial apparatus. The specimen preparation procedures were specially designed to mimic the hydrate formation inside the internal pores of CS. A trial test was conducted to validate whether the shear wave velocity is a feasible parameter to monitor the formation and dissociation of hydrate in the CS-fines mixture. Based on the bender element test results, hydrate has a more profound effect than confining pressure on enhancing the maximum shear modulus of CS-fines mixture.


2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1426-1438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Ung Youn ◽  
Yun-Wook Choo ◽  
Dong-Soo Kim

The bender element method is an experimental technique used to determine the small-strain shear modulus (Gmax) of a soil by measuring the velocity of shear wave propagation through a sample. Bender elements have been applied as versatile transducers to measure the Gmax of wet and dry soils in various laboratory apparatuses. However, certain aspects of the bender element method have yet to be clearly specified because of uncertainties in determining travel time. In this paper, the bender element (BE), resonant column (RC), and torsional shear (TS) tests were performed on the same specimens using the modified Stokoe-type RC and TS testing equipment. Two clean sands, Toyoura and silica sands, were tested at various densities and mean effective stresses under dry and saturated conditions. Based on the test results, methods of determining travel time in BE tests were evaluated by comparing the results of RC, TS, and BE tests. Also, methods to evaluate Gmax of saturated sands from the shear-wave velocity (Vs) obtained by RC and BE tests were investigated by comparing the three sets of test results. Biot’s theory on frequency dependence of shear-wave velocity was adopted to consider dispersion of a shear wave in saturated conditions. The results of this study suggest that the total mass density, which is commonly used to convert Gmax from the measured Vs in saturated soils, should not be used to convert Vs to Gmax when the frequency of excitation is 10% greater than the characteristic frequency (fc) of the soil.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Markowska-Lech ◽  
Mariusz Lech ◽  
Marek Bajda ◽  
Alojzy Szymański

Abstract Small strain stiffness in overconsolidated Pliocene clays. A huge development of technical infrastructure, including the construction of many high-rise buildings, roads, railroads and extension of subway lines, took place over the recent years in Poland. Therefore, numerous planned investment projects require geotechnical data documenting the variation of soil parameters found in the subsoil. The shear wave velocity is one of the most important input parameters to represent the stiffness of the soil deposits. This paper focuses on the methods and devices using measurements of the shear wave velocity to estimate the initial shear modulus in cohesive soil. It is preferable to measure VS by in situ wave propagation tests, however it is often economically not feasible in all regions of Poland. Hence, a reliable correlation between shear wave velocity and parameters measured in triaxial cell or static penetration parameters would be a considerable advantage. This study shows results obtained from the bender elements tests and field techniques - seismic cone penetration test and seismic flat dilatometer, performed on overconsolidated cohesive soils in Warsaw. On the basis of the test results possible correlations between shear wave velocity (initial shear modulus), mean effective stress and void ratio are considered and four original empirical relationships are proposed. Moreover, the proposed formulas by two different techniques using triaxial apparatus and also RCPT cone were examined. The proposed formulas show a reasonable agreement with direct shear wave velocity profiles for clays and might be incorporated into routine laboratory and field practice


2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 1034-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qasim Khan ◽  
Sathya Subramanian ◽  
Dawn Y.C. Wong ◽  
Taeseo Ku

For the quality control of cement mixing in clays, small-strain shear stiffness Gmax is now increasingly being used due to enhanced repeatability in shear wave velocity (Vs) measurements. These stiff cemented clays have higher resonant frequencies that require the use of higher input frequencies in bender element testing for reliable Vs measurements. However, the practical requirements for suitable signals (with minimal near-field effects and wave reflections) can often be difficult to implement. To facilitate such Vs measurements, the current study proposes a methodology that can correct Vs values corresponding to lower wave propagation distance to wavelength ratios (Ltt/λ) to more reliable values of Vs at reference Ltt/λ criterion suggested in previous studies (e.g., 2, 3.33, and 4). Two clay types are mixed with ordinary Portland cement and various mix ratios are utilized to cover a wider range of soil stiffnesses. Based on the collected database, it is found that the resulting fitting functions enable the reasonable estimation of the stabilized Vs values corresponding to the suggested Ltt/λ criterion regardless of the nature of the input sine signal.


2006 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro OGINO ◽  
Hiroshi OIKAWA ◽  
Toshiyuki MITACHI ◽  
Masaki TSUSHIMA ◽  
Kohta NISHIDA

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Dong-Ju Kim ◽  
Jung-Doung Yu ◽  
Yong-Hoon Byun

Shear wave velocity and small-strain shear modulus are widely used as the mechanical properties of soil. The objective of this study is to develop a new shear wave monitoring system using a pair of piezoelectric ring benders (RBs) and to evaluate the suitability of RB in compacted soils compared with the bender element and ultrasonic transducer. The RB is a multilayered piezoelectric actuator, which can generate shear waves without disturbing soils. For five compacted soil specimens, the shear waves are monitored by using three different piezoelectric transducers. Results of time-domain response show that the output signals measured from the RB vary according to the water content of the specimen and the frequency of the input signal. Except at the water content of 9.3%, the difference in the resonant frequencies between the three transducers is not significant. The shear wave velocities for the RB are slightly greater than those for the other transducers. For the RB, the exponential relationship between the shear wave velocity and dry unit weight is better established compared with that of the other transducers. The newly proposed piezoelectric transducer RB may be useful for the evaluation of the shear wave velocity and small-strain shear modulus of compacted soils.


2013 ◽  
Vol 418 ◽  
pp. 157-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keeratikan Piriyakul

This article presents the application of the non-destructive testing method (so called Bender element test) to measure the shear wave velocity and determine the maximum shear modulus of soft Bangkok clay samples. This research proposes the bender element technique to measure the shear wave velocity by means of piezoelectric ceramic sensors. The details of the bender element test were clearly explained. The laboratory bender element test data of the shear wave velocity were compared with the field test results and show that the field propagating waves pass along layers of higher stiffness while the laboratory test data were performed on small, possible less stiff material. The inversion calculation of the shear wave velocity in the field test is based on a linear elastic isotropic assumption which is not valid for the Bangkok subsoil and might be a second reason for the noticed differences in velocity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 459 ◽  
pp. 115-118
Author(s):  
Keeratikan Piriyakul

This article presents the bender element technique to determine the stiffness of Bangkok clay mixed with the Portland cement type 1 and the fly ash type F by means of shear wave velocity. The Bangkok clay was mixed with 20% by weigh of Portland cement type 1 and varied the amount of fly ash (0, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% by weight). The soil-cement samples were cured for 3, 7, 14, 28 and 90 days. Then, these samples were performed the bender element test. The results reported that the optimum of replacement fly ash was about 15-20% and showed that the stiffness of soil-cement-fly ash mixing was increased with increasing the curing time. However, the shear wave velocity results were higher than the result of 0% replacement of fly ash which was the long term behaviour of cement mixed with fly ash.


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