Theoretical Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Unsaturated Soils

An evaluation method for the mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils is studied in this paper. Although the mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils is complicated, a simple modeling is preferable in practice. This is because the soil properties are not homogeneous and ground data is limited when structures are being designed. In addition, in order to evaluate the reliability of the design, the physical meanings of the parameters applied in the prediction model should be clear. Firstly, the authors study the relationship between compaction curves and compression indexes in the unsaturated state that is used in the proposed constitutive model. Based on the constitutive model, the stress paths for constant volume shear tests are formulated under a constant void ratio condition and the stress paths for undrained shear tests are calculated under a constant water content condition. In the case of unsaturated specimens, the volume of these specimens changes with the shear deformation and the stress paths depend on the initial degree of saturation. The results of the calculation qualitatively describe the test results by considering the changes in effective confining pressure in the undrained condition and the water retention curves.     

Coupled modelling of hydro‐mechanical behaviour of unsaturated compacted expansive soils

The Barcelona basic model cannot predict the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, whereas the Barcelona expansive model (BExM) can only predict the stress–strain behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils without the water‐retention behaviour being incorporated. Moreover, the micro‐parameters and the coupling function between micro‐structural and macro‐structural strains in the BExM are difficult to determine. Experimental data show that the compression curves for non‐expansive soils under constant suctions are shifted towards higher void ratios with increasing suction, whereas the opposite is true for expansive soils. According to the observed water‐retention behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, the air‐entry value increases with density, and the relationship between the degree of saturation and void ratio is linear at constant suction. According to the above observation, an elastoplastic constitutive model is developed for predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils, based on the existing hydro‐mechanical model for non‐expansive unsaturated soil. The model takes into consideration the effect of degree of saturation on the mechanical behaviour and that of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour. The concept of equivalent void ratio curve is introduced to distinguish the plastic potential curve from the yield curve. The model predictions are compared with the test results of an unsaturated expansive soil, including swelling tests under constant net stress, isotropic compression tests and triaxial shear tests under constant suction. The comparison indicates that the model offers great potential for quantitatively predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated expansive soils. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄土坡滑坡滑带土非饱和力学特性试验研究

以三峡库区黄土坡滑坡临江I号崩滑体的滑带土为研究对象,研究基质吸力对非饱和滑带土的强度与变形等力学性质的影响。利用GDS非饱和反压直剪仪对滑带土进行了不同净法向应力和基质吸力组合下的直剪试验。试验结果表明:相同的基质吸力作用下,滑带土抗剪强度随着净法向应力的增大而增大。当滑带土试样中基质吸力较小时(50kPa),试样剪切过程中的应力-应变曲线,随着净法向应力的增大表现为应变硬化型。之后随着基质吸力的增加,当吸力大于净法向应力时,剪切应力-应变曲线表现为较明显的达到峰值后软化。反之,应力-应变曲线表现为应变硬化型。相同净法向应力下,抗剪强度随着吸力的增大而增大,剪切应力-应变曲线由低法向应力下的达到峰值后软化向高法向应力下的应变硬化转变。剪切过程的轴向位移表现为:当吸力大于净法向应力时,表现为剪胀; 反之,表现为剪缩。滑带土固结排水剪切条件下得到的黏聚力随着基质吸力呈线性增长关系。得到了滑带土的吸力摩擦角b为13.7,有效内摩擦角有较小增长,平均有效内摩擦角15.9。     

基质吸力对非饱和土抗剪强度的影响

在自然界和工程实践中遇到的土大多数是非饱和土,研究吸力对非饱和土抗剪强度的作用,对于工程实践具有重要的意义。通过压力板仪和直剪仪组合试验,探讨了击实土抗剪强度和基质吸力的关系。试验结果表明：凝聚力在饱和度为40%-60%时最大,而内摩擦角则随饱和度增加而有所减少。进一步对比土-水特征曲线与抗剪强度的关系,并整合前人研究成果,指出了非饱和土中吸力对其抗剪强度影响的规律。对于无黏性土,在边界效应区不产生假凝聚力,且内摩擦角不变;在过渡区与非饱和残余区,假凝聚力和基质吸力的关系存在峰值且变化较大,内摩擦角则随吸力增加而增加。对于黏性土,残余体积含水率所对应的最小吸力可能是影响抗剪强度的界限值,小于此吸力值,φb可近似为常数。但在非饱和残余区,凝聚力将随土状态路径的不同而变化。对于重塑土,凝聚力降低;而对于原状土,则凝聚力可能不变或增加。     

基质吸力对非饱和重塑黄土抗剪强度的贡献

非饱和土抗剪强度随饱和度降低、基质吸力增大而提高.然而,不同类型非饱和土中,基质吸力对抗剪强度的贡献却显著不同.本文通过室内试验,探讨了基质吸力对非饱和重塑黄土抗剪强度贡献的基本特征.研究结果表明,非饱和重塑黄土抗剪强度随着基质吸力的增大,表现为非线性的和明显的4个阶段性增、降和逐渐稳定特征,且分段特征值与土-水特征曲...     

考虑吸力效应的非饱和黏土回弹模量预估模型

回弹模量是反映路基弹性支撑能力的重要指标,并受运营期间基质吸力变化的显著影响。通过3种压实黏土试样的土-水特征曲线试验和重复动三轴试验,研究了回弹模量与基质吸力的相关性,并基于非饱和土有效应力原理,提出了考虑吸力效应的回弹模量预估模型。结果表明：基质吸力与回弹模量之间具有较强的非线性相关性,可采用指数形式进行两者的拟合;含水率由最佳含水率-4%提升至最佳含水率+4%时,受基质吸力减小的影响,回弹模量降幅达到29.1%～39.0%;在 土-水特征曲线过渡区,采用以饱和度表征的有效应力参数,可较好地反映基质吸力对于回弹模量的贡献,预估效果优于采用残余含水率或进气值相关的有效应力参数;在相同饱和度的情况下,黏粒含量越多、塑性指数越高,基质吸力对有效应力的贡献比例越小。     

Yielding of Silt at High Temperature and Suction Magnitudes

This study presents an evaluation of yielding mechanisms for unsaturated, compacted silt using drained triaxial compression tests with control of elevated temperatures and high suction magnitudes. After anisotropic compression, some compacted silt specimens were heated by approximately 40 °C before a suction of approximately 300 MPa was applied, while others were heated after suction application. A frictional response was observed for the specimens sheared under high suction magnitudes, in the form of a consistent increase in peak shear strength with increasing net confining stress. An effective stress analysis was used to evaluate the trends in the peak shear stress and the role of stress history for the different specimens. A single peak failure envelope was observed when the shear strength data was interpreted in terms of the mean effective stress. Changes in preconsolidation stress were estimated by identifying the intersections between a thermo-elasto-plastic yield function and the experimental peak shear strength values. Soil specimens heated before application of high suction values had lower peak shear strengths than reference specimens at high suction and ambient temperature. This behaviour is consistent with thermal softening trends observed in soils heated under low suction values. However, soil specimens heated after suction application had greater peak shear strengths than the reference specimens. This indicates heating under high suction results in hardening. The impact of suction on the preconsolidation stress was found to be better represented by a power law model at high suction magnitudes than other available models. The estimated preconsolidation stress values were used to evaluate the impacts of stress history on the thermal volume change response, which matched well with data from tests on saturated specimens.     

Comparison of testing techniques and models for establishing the SWCC of riverbank soils

The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), also known as soil water retention curve (SWRC), describes the relationship between water content and soil suction in unsaturated soils. Water content and suction affect the permeability, shear strength, volume change and deformability of unsaturated soils. This paper presents results of the laboratory determination of the SWCC for soil samples obtained from the riverbank of the Lower Roanoke River in North Carolina. Six different testing methods were used to establish the SWCC including the filter paper, dewpoint potentiameter, vapor equilibrium, pressure plate, Tempe cell and osmotic methods. It is concluded that each suction measurement technique provides different measurable ranges of suction values, and the combined results from the different tests provide continuous SWCCs. Three widely available models were also shown to adequately fit the experimental SWCC data, particularly for matric suction values under 1500 kPa. These results will be valuable to practitioners in deciding which methods to use to establish the SWCC, and which empirical relationship to use for modeling the SWCC of riverbank soils.     

考虑基质吸力变化时非饱和土的一维本构模型

当地下水位上升或地面遇水浸润时,土的饱和度将因毛细作用而变化,以此使土体产生变形。其中由于含水量增加而使土的重度增大,从而引起压缩变形;同时含水量的增加而使基质吸力下降,从而引起土的回弹变形,因此最终变形取决于上述两种变形趋势的综合效应。根据广义Hook定律、Fredlund的双应力状态变量及Brooks和Corey关于基质吸力与饱和度之间的经验关系,建立了K0状态下非饱和土的一维本构模型。将这一模型与分层总和法相结合,可以计算基质吸力变化时土的竖向变形。通过研究发现,非饱和土的地面变形不仅取决于土的性质与土层的厚度,而且依赖于土中吸力变化前后的分布及应力状态等因素。所建议的一维本构模型可以用于非饱和土地基上基础的沉降估算。     

粉土基质吸力的新型量测装置与土-水特征研究

以非饱和土张力计原理为基础,制作了一种新型的基质吸力量测装置,并通过实测过程的不断总结与改进,得到了一种成本低廉、制作简单、操作便利、试验快速和结果可靠的非饱和土基质吸力量测装置,以此装置测定了不同体积含水率、不同压实度和干湿循环后粉土的基质吸力变化规律,得到了不同压实度粉土的土-水特征曲线,并通过Origin软件中的Boltzmann模型进行拟合对比分析,得到了与压实度相关的土-水特征曲线,比较了不同压实度粉土的含水率变化对基质吸力的不同影响特点。试验结果表明,干湿循环对粉土的基质吸力和强度有很大影响。     

非饱和黏土动力特性及等价黏弹性模型的试验研究

针对非饱和重塑黏土,利用改进的非饱和土静力-动力液压三轴-扭转多功能剪切仪,在固结排水（CD）条件下进行了应力控制式分级加载的循环三轴试验,通过对试验结果的对比分析,探讨了初始固结压力和基质吸力(孔隙气压力Ua与孔隙水压力Uw之差)对非饱和土动应力-动应变关系特性的影响。以此为基础,将Hardin-Drnerich等价黏弹性模型和Masing加卸载准则进行了改进,并得到了可以考虑基质吸力的非饱和黏土的等价黏弹性模型。进而对试验数据与模型预测结果进行比较,结果表明这种改进的非饱和土等价黏弹性模型能较好预测各种基质吸力下非饱和土的动应力-动应变关系。     

非饱和土抗剪强度及土压力统一解

基于统一强度理论和非饱和土双应力状态变量抗剪强度,合理考虑中间主应力效应,建立了非饱和土双应力状态变量抗剪强度统一解,并与文献试验结果进行比较,验证了公式的正确性;进而考虑基质吸力的不同分布,得到非饱和土主动土压力和被动土压力统一解,克服了朗肯土压力的不足,并得出中间主应力和基质吸力对土压力的影响特性。研究结果表明,主动土压力随着统一强度理论参数和基质吸力的增大而不断减小,被动土压力则相反;当基质吸力沿深度线性减小时,主动土压力和被动土压力都不像基质吸力沿深度为常数时变化得那么快。该结果为非饱和土抗剪强度和土压力分析提供了理论依据,对工程设计有一定的参考价值。     

利用溢出量数据确定非饱和土-水力学参数

在Wei & Muraleetharan基于非饱和土两相流交界面上的动态相容条件提出的多孔介质热动力学混合物理论模型基础上,推导出能描述溢出量与时间关系的溢出量演化方程。根据溢出量演化方程,结合一定变化规律的基质吸力序列,建立了给定基质吸力序列作用下利用多步流动试验瞬态溢出量数据确定非饱和土-水力学参数的方法。通过对低液限粉土、低液限黏土的多步流动试验研究发现,利用瞬态溢出量数据的拟合来确定非饱和土-水力学参数的方法而得到的各基质吸力作用下试样饱和度和渗透系数预估值,与联合测试系统测得的各基质吸力作用下试样的饱和度及渗透系数接近。     

一维稳态渗流时非饱和土中的基质吸力分布

首先对非饱和土中的土水势和干土吸水过程中土水势的变化进行了定性分析。然后利用水相连续性条件、广义Darcy定律及Gardner关于非饱和土导水系数和基质吸力的经验公式,建立了非饱和土一维稳态渗流情况下基质吸力沿深度变化的关系表达式,并利用差分方法对稳态入渗和稳态蒸发两种情况进行了求解。根据提出的方法,不仅可以方便地得到基质吸力沿深度的分布,而且可以求出水头和导水系数沿深度的变化。     

Effect of loading rate on the volume change behavior of unsaturated residual soil

Residual soils occur in most countries of the world but those that occur in greater area and depth are usually found in the tropical humid areas. This research examines the effects of loading rate of applied or net mean stress on the volume change behavior of an unsaturated granitic residual soil. Three loading rates were adopted: fast, slow and extra slow loading rate. It was observed that the loading rate of applied or net mean stress has a pronounced effect on the void ratio and degree of saturation but has an insignificant effect on the water content of residual soils subjected to constant matric suction.     

非饱和重塑黄土基质吸力变化特征与物理性质的关系

本文以兰州重塑黄土为对象,通过室内试验分析6组非饱和重塑黄土土-水特征曲线分段特征值与主要物性指标的统计关系,探讨了非饱和重塑黄土物理性质对其基质吸力变化特征的影响。结果表明,对于非饱和重塑黄土,分段特征含水量、特征饱和度、特征基质吸力与干密度关系密切,与颗粒级配关系较弱。随干密度增加,过渡区特征饱和度、残余饱和度线性增加,饱和含水量、过渡区特征含水量线性降低,残余基质吸力及过渡区特征基质吸力分别为线性及非线性增加。过渡区特征饱和度、残余饱和度与土体中粘粒含量线性正相关,与粉粒含量负相关。饱和含水量与粉粒含量线性正相关,残余基质吸力与其线性负相关。重塑黄土的微观结构显示这些关系受制于土体的孔隙结构和颗粒间的相互关系。     

A density‐dependent elastoplastic hydro‐mechanical model for unsaturated compacted soils

This paper presents a three‐dimensional elastoplastic constitutive model for predicting the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. It is based on experimental results obtained from a series of controlled‐suction triaxial tests on unsaturated compacted clay with different initial densities. Hydraulic hysteresis in the water‐retention behaviour is modelled as an elastoplastic process, with the elastic part modelled by a series of scanning curves and the elastoplastic part modelled by the main drying and wetting curves. The effect of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour is studied using data obtained from controlled‐suction wetting–drying cyclic tests on unsaturated compacted clay with different initial densities. The effect of the degree of saturation on the stress–strain‐strength behaviour and the effect of void ratio on the water‐retention behaviour are considered in the model, as is the effect of suction on the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour. The initial density dependency of the compacted soil behaviour is modelled by experimental relationships between the initial density and the corresponding yield stress and, thereby, between the initial density and the normal compression line. The model is generalized to three‐dimensional stress states by assuming that the shapes of the failure and yield surfaces in the deviatoric stress plane are given by the Matsuoka–Nakai criterion. Model predictions of the stress–strain and water‐retention behaviour are compared with those obtained from triaxial tests with different initial densities under isotropic compression, triaxial compression and triaxial extension, with or without variation in suction. The comparisons indicate that the model accurately predicts the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated compacted soils with different initial densities using the same material constant. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非饱和红土基质吸力与含水率及密度关系试验研究

非饱和土中存在的基质吸力对其性质有着十分重要的影响,而基质吸力又与土的含水率之间存在着密切的关系。为了探讨基质吸力与非饱和红土含水率和密度之间的关系,采用滤纸法在试验室进行了基质吸力的量测,得到了不同干密度下非饱和红土的土-水特征曲线,拟合出了该类非饱和红土土-水特征曲线公式。试验结果分析表明：在相同的干密度下,随着含水率的增加,基质吸力呈现出急剧减小的趋势。当含水率 <24 %时,这一变化规律特别明显。对参数 分析发现,在非饱和状态下基质吸力对红土强度的提高是有限的。通过分析不同干密度对基质吸力的影响规律得出,基质吸力在含水率较高时对密度状态的变化不敏感,而在含水率较低时对密度状态的变化比较敏感。     

Experimental Set-up for Determining Soil Water Retention Curves for Granular Soils During Drying

Abstract: Soil water retention curves (SWRCs) provide an important means of describing the response of unsaturated soils during drying / wetting processes in terms of variations of degree of saturation, water content or void ratio with suction. A key consideration in generating these curves is how to measure the suction. Frequently the filter paper technique is adopted, especially when high suctions are developed, e.g. with plastic clays. As each measurement takes at least a week with this technique, it can take months or years to generate a full SWRC in drying and wetting. Developments in laboratory tensiometers now allow matrix suctions up to about 1.5 MPa to be measured. With such a device it is possible to develop SWRCs for granular soils such as silts and clays in hours or days by continuous measurement. This paper describes an experimental set-up that was developed to measure changes in volume, water content and matrix suction during drying of three granular soils. Limitations of the apparatus and usefulness of the curves are discussed.     

非饱和粉质粘土固结压缩特性及体变试验研究

为进一步研究与基质吸力相关联的非饱和土固结压缩特性,扩展非饱和土固结理论在工程实际中的适用性,通过分析非饱和粉质粘土水土特征曲线变化规律,对非饱和土固结变形机理进行研究。试验结果表明：非饱和土的最终沉降量仅与土骨架的压缩模量有关。对于不同饱和度的非饱和土而言,固结速度随初始饱和度的增加而减小,饱和土固结过程所需要的时间比非饱和土固结过程所需要的时间短。由于孔隙流体的压缩性导致高饱和土体的瞬时沉降比低饱和土体的瞬时沉降小,但高饱和土体的后期固结沉降受饱和度和吸力的影响,比低饱和土体要大得多。 