Temperature Effects on Unconfined Compressive Strength of Clay Soils: Experimental and Constitutive Study

Unconfined compressive strength (Su) is one of the soil engineering parameters used in geotechnical designs. Due to the temperature changes caused by some human activities, it is important to study the changes in Su at different temperatures. For this purpose, kaolin, illite and montmorillonite clays with a liquid limit (LL) of 47, 80 and 119 respectively, were tested in a temperature-controlled cell in temperature range of 20 to 60 ℃. The results showed that the pore water pressure is a function of temperature and by heating, pore water pressure in the samples increased. In all three types of clay, the Su decreased linearly with increasing temperature. The reduction of Su in kaolin is more than illite and in illite is more than montmorillonite. The reason for this reduction, might be due the difference in the mineralogy of the clays. The results of unconfined compressive tests at different temperatures were simulated using hypoplastic model.

Formulation of a Basic Constitutive Model for Fine - Grained Soils Using the Hypoplastic Framework

A hypoplastic approach to constitutive modelling was developed by Kolymbas 1996 considering a non-linear tensor function in the form of strain and stress rate. However, the implicit formulation of the hypoplastic model with indirect material parameters severely limits its applicability to real-world geotechnical problems. In many cases, the numerical analysis of geotechnical problems relies on simple elastoplastic constitutive models that cannot model a wide range of soil response aspects. One promising paradigm of constitutive modelling in geotechnics is hypoplasticity, but many of the hypoplastic models belong to advanced models. In the article, we present the simple hypoplastic model as an alternative to the widely used Mohr-Coulomb elastoplastic model.

Seismic site response of layered saturated sand: comparison of finite element simulations with centrifuge test results

A numerical model based on the finite element framework was developed to predict the seismic response of saturated sand under free-field conditions. The finite element framework used a non-linear coupled hypoplastic model based on the u-p formulation to simulate the behaviour of the saturated sand. The u-p coupled constitutive model was implemented as a user-defined routine in commercial ABAQUS explicit 6.14. Results of centrifuge experiments simulating seismic site response of a layered saturated sand system were used to validate the numerical results. The centrifuge test consisted of a three-layered saturated sand system subjected to one-dimensional seismic shaking at the base. The test set-up was equipped with accelerometers, pore pressure transducers, and LVDTs at various levels. Most of the constitutive models used to date for predicting the seismic response of saturated sands have underestimated volumetric strains even after choosing material parameters subjected to rigorous calibration measures. The hypoplastic model with intergranular strains calibrated against monotonic triaxial test results was able to effectively capture the volumetric strains, reasons for which are discussed in this paper. The comparison of the numerical results to centrifuge test data illustrates the capabilities of the developed u-p hypoplastic formulation to perform pore fluid analysis of saturated sand in ABAQUS explicit, which inherently lacks this feature.

Hypoplastic Interface Model considering Plane Strain Condition and Surface Roughness

The soil-structure interface problem is an important part of soil-structure interaction research. These problems are mostly three-dimensional space problems, which is more complex to solve. In this paper, reduced stress and strain rate vectors are incorporated into the explicitly granular hypoplastic model by considering the plane strain state precisely. In addition, considering the important influence of roughness on the mechanical properties of contact surface, an improved hypoplastic model is established by incorporating the influence of roughness into the hypoplastic model, and the applicability of the new improved model is validated by comparing with the simulation results of the Mohr–Coulomb model, the explicitly granular hypoplastic models, and the experimental data. The results indicate that the improved model can be utilized to reflect the nonlinearity of the mechanical properties of the contact surface, which is in good agreement with the experimental data.

Ground deformation mechanism due to deep excavation in sand: 3D numerical modelling

In densely built areas, development of underground transportation system often involves excavations for basement construction and cut-and-cover tunnels which are sometimes inevitable to be constructed adjacent to existing structure. Inadequate support systems have always been major concern as excessive ground movement induced during excavation could damage to neighbouring structure. A detailed parametric analysis of the ground deformation mechanism due to excavation with different depths in sand with different densities (Dr=30%, 50%, 70% and 90%) is presented. 3D finite element analyses were carried out using a hypoplastic model, which considers strain-dependent and path-dependent soil stiffness. The computed results have revealed that the maximum settlement decreased substantially when the excavation is carried out in the sand with higher relative density. This is because of reason that sand with higher relative density possesses higher stiffness. Moreover, the depth of the maximum settlement of the wall decreases as the sandbecome denser.The ground movement flow is towards excavation in retained side of the excavation. On the other hand the soil heave was induced below the formation level at excavation side. The maximum strain level of 2.4% was induced around the diaphragm wall.

Investigation of piled behaviour due to an adjacent excavation: 3D numerical modelling

Zameer Ahmed Channaret al.,InternationalJournal of Emerging Trends in Engineering Research, 9(6), June 2021, 683–689683ABSTRACTIn congested cities, excavations are unavoidably constructed adjacent to high rising building supported by piled raft foundations which reduces differential settlements in the buildings. Since the excavations inevitably induce soil movement and stress changes in the ground, it may cause differential settlements to nearby piled raft foundation. In this numerical study, a 3D coupled consolidation numerical analysis (using a hypoplastic model, which considers strain dependent and path-dependent soil stiffness) was conducted to investigate a (2×2) piled raft responses to an adjacent 25-m deep excavation in saturated clay. The computed results have revealedthat the rate of piled raft settlement increased significantly beyond excavation stage h/He=0.5. This is because of the degradation of stiffness of clay with strain due to excavation-induced stress release. Differential settlement (i.e. tilting) was induced in the piled raft due to non-uniform stress release.Owing to separation of the raft from the ground due excavation, some of the working load was transferred to the four piles. The maximum positive bending moment was 200 kNm at Z/Lp=0.67. However, no any bending moment was induced in both the piles at the toes.

A Visco-hypoplastic Constitutive Model for Rolled Asphalt

Experience has shown that the durability of “high-modulus” asphalts made with modified bitumen is unsatisfactory. The misdirected “development” forced in recent decades necessitates a more accurate understanding of the mechanical behavior of rolled asphalts, i.e., constitutive formulation of a numerical asphalt model. The authors elaborate a numerical procedure to model the visco-hypoplastic constitutive behavior of the rolled asphalts by the appropriate composition of the hypoplastic theory of soil mechanics and, taking into account the existing asphalt models. This proposal is justified because rolled asphalt is nothing more than an aggregate skeleton of mineral origin, the voids of which are filled with high-viscosity bitumen. The model allows to quantify the interaction of the two components, such as the formation of ruts due to pressure on the bitumen, the formation of cracks due to cooling-induced tensile stresses, and the viscous behavior of asphalt. Validity of this complex numerical model can already be considered proven theoretically, but it still needs to be experimentally verified for the viscous behavior. This new constitutive model has important theoretical and practical consequences such as a new visco-hypoplastic model of rolled asphalt as partially saturated granular material with cooling-induced isotropic residual stresses.