Role of apparent cohesion in the stability of Dominician allophane soil slopes

This study examines the effect of loss of apparent cohesion from rainwater infiltration upon the stability of partly saturated, allophanic soil slopes of Dominica (West Indies). The parent material of the Dominican allophanic soils are the andesitic and dacitic volcanic rocks from ten volcanic centres of mainly Pleistocene age. Although simplifying assumptions are made to assess the depth of wetting front and magnitudes of true and apparent cohesion values of the partly saturated allophanic soils, certain inferences of practical significance emerge from the study.

Matric suction contributes to the effective stress of unsaturated soils and increases the shear strength of these soils by imparting them an apparent cohesion strength component. This apparent cohesion strength component of the partly saturated Dominician allophanic soils is considered to be related to the matric suction term (u_a−u_w) by a parabolic relationship.

The partly saturated allophanic soil slopes of Dominica would invariably fail from loss of apparent cohesion upon saturation of the soil mantle by the infiltrating water front only if (a) the average slope angle (β) is greater than or equal to the drained shear strength parameter of the unsaturated soil (Φ_d) (slopes with β ≥ Φ_d are referred to as category 1 slopes in this study) and (b) the drained cohesion parameter (c_d) belonging to the partly saturated soil of the category 1 slope is mainly contributed by matric suction induced apparent cohesion (c_app) and contribution from true cohesion (c′) is absent. However, the possibility of the category 1 slopes (for the case 1 situation) failing in the saturated condition from effective stress reduction due to rise in ground water table is shown to be an unfeasible proposition. In contrast, for the case 1 situation, the partly saturated category 2 slopes (β < Φ_d) are insusceptible to failure from reduction in effective stress due to loss of matric suction but fail in the saturated condition from effective stress reduction due to rise in ground water table. If the allophanic soils were to possess a sufficient magnitude of true cohesion (c′), even the partly saturated category 1 slopes possessing slope angles (β) much in excess of their Φ_d values (β − Φ_d = 15.1°) would remain stable upon total elimination of the matric suction induced cohesion. However, partly saturated category 1 slopes possessing a true cohesion component and insusceptible to failure from reduction in effective stress upon loss of matric suction, invariably fail in the saturated condition from reduction in effective stress due to rise in ground water table.

Using the methodology developed in this study, two previously reported case histories pertaining to rain induced translational landslides in the residual soil areas of Brazil are re-examined and the results obtained in this study are found to be in agreement with the findings of the previous researchers.     

非饱和红粘土和膨胀土抗剪强度的比较研究

红粘土是对环境湿热变化敏感的塑性粘土,具有一般膨胀土吸水膨胀失水收缩的特性。与普通粘性土相比,红粘土与膨胀土的强度特性更为复杂。它既是土体抵抗剪切破坏能力的表征,也是计算路堑、渠道、路堤、土坝等斜坡稳定性以及支挡构筑物土压力的重要参数。通过试验研究讨论了红粘土与膨胀土的强度特性以及与一般粘性土的差别及其各种影响因素,并探讨了非饱和红粘土与膨胀土的抗剪强度指标与含水量之间的相关关系。试验结果表明,红粘土与一般膨胀土的吸水膨胀规律完全相同。其试验结果可为红粘土与膨胀土地区工程设计与建设提供参考依据。     

巴东组非饱和红土强度与变形特性试验研究

宜昌-巴东段高速公路修建中形成了大量的路堑边坡,上覆为巴东组红层残坡积红土。降雨条件下,土体强度急剧下降,导致大量路堑边坡失稳。目前针对巴东组残坡积红土强度与变形特性开展非饱和试验的研究较少,为探索基质吸力对红土强度的影响,对红土进行了土水特征曲线、三轴强度试验,采用GDS三轴系统对红土进行了饱和及非饱和剪切试验,非饱和三轴试验采用了常含水量试验方法。结果表明:基质吸力对巴东红土强度影响很大。土体强度随吸力增大而呈非线性增长; 而基质吸力随着含水量增大而减小,即巴东组非饱和红土强度特性随土体含水量增大而变差。最后拟合出巴东非饱和红土的经验抗剪强度公式。研究成果对该区域工程实践具有一定的参考意义。     

黏粒含量对磁县段膨胀土抗剪强度影响的试验研究

利用电动应变控制式直剪仪及直剪/残余剪切试验仪对南水北调磁县段不同黏粒含量的原状膨胀土进行快剪、饱和快剪、饱和固结快剪和反复直剪试验,研究黏粒含量对其抗剪强度的影响。研究表明:饱和后试样的抗剪强度明显降低,固结后强度提高,且饱和作用对黏粒含量较大的中膨胀土强度的削弱作用更为显著,固结作用对黏粒含量较小的弱膨胀土强度的治愈作用更显著; 随黏粒含量的增大,黏聚力逐渐减小,内摩擦角则先减后增,其临界值在32%左右; 峰值强度后的抗剪强度降低幅度随黏粒含量的增加而增大; 土体的峰值强度f随黏粒含量则先减后增,变化趋势比较平缓; 残余强度r随黏粒含量增加逐渐减小,成指数关系; 残余强度内摩擦角r与黏粒含量成对数关系,黏聚力cr则比较离散。     

百色重塑膨胀土抗剪强度的试验研究

通过对不同初始含水率、不同干密度下百色重塑膨胀土直剪试验,研究了百色击实重塑膨胀土在不同垂直压力下的峰值强度和残余强度,分析了其抗剪强度的作用机制。研究表明：随着干密度的增加,土体的峰值强度增大,残余强度变化不大;随着上覆荷载的增加,土体的抗剪强度明显增加,表明物理处治技术填筑膨胀土路堤能保证其强度和稳定性;干密度对重塑膨胀土的峰值强度影响较大,而对残余强度影响很小;重塑膨胀土的残余强度与它的结构、应力历史、起始含水率没有关系,而只取决于黏土颗粒的形态、大小、含量和矿物成分等因素。     

珠江口地区岩土层工程地质特征及物理力学性质研究

基于港珠澳大桥、深中通道、虎门大桥等工程的精细化勘察成果,分析了珠江口地区岩土层地质特性,区内岩土层可划分为淤泥质软土层、黏土粉质黏土层、中粗砂层、残积土层、不同程度风化基岩共5大层,结合区内水动力环境、沉积物类型、钻孔对比及地质剖面,将研究区划分为河口砂质沉积区、潮流型泥质沉积区、泥砂混合沉积区、浅海泥砂混合沉积区等4类。珠江口地区岩土层的物性参数特征研究表明,随着深度增大,岩土层含水率降低,快剪黏聚力增大,压缩系数减小,压缩模量增大;原状土十字板抗剪强度C_u与软土含水率w呈幂函数相关,与压缩模量E_s、快剪黏聚力c呈线性正相关;孔压静力触探试验比贯入阻力p_s与含水率w呈对数相关,与压缩系数a_1?2呈幂函数相关,与黏性土、砂类土的快剪黏聚力c呈线性正相关,得到的经验公式可为珠江口地区类似场地工程建设提供参考。     

Effect of Cement and Quarry Dust on Shear Strength and Hydraulic Characteristics of Lithomargic Clay

The lithomargic clay constitutes an important group of residual soils existing under lateritic soils. This soil is found on the western and eastern coasts of India over large areas. This soil is a problematic one and is very sensitive to water and loses a greater part of its strength when becomes saturated. These high silt deposits have invited many problems such as slope failures, foundation failures, embankment failures, uneven settlements etc. In this investigation an attempt is made to study the effect of cement and quarry dust on shear strength and hydraulic characteristics of the lithomargic clay after the stabilization. Microfabric and mineralogical studies were carried out to find out the reason for the strength development of the stabilized soil using SEM and XRD analysis. The results indicated that there is an improvement in the properties of the lithomargic clay with the addition of cement and quarry dust. The XRD results indicated the formation of CSH and CAH, which are responsible for strength development in the stabilized soil.     

Effect of inherent anisotropy on the strength of natural granite residual soil under generalized stress paths

It is universally known that residual soils behave very differently from sedimentary soils. While the latter is widely known as cross-anisotropic, little is known regarding the strength anisotropy of residual soils. This study presents how the inherent anisotropy affects the strength of natural granite residual soils under generalized conditions, where intact specimens were carefully prepared and sheared under triaxial compression, extension, simple shear, and hollow cylinder torsional shear tests. The strength of natural residual soil, in terms of ultimate stress ratio M and undrained shear strength S_u, is found to be significantly anisotropic in a different way from normally consolidated clays with the maximum strength obtained under triaxial compression and the minimum under simple shear or at intermediate principal stress direction. As a result, the existing method failed to measure the anisotropy degree of the studied soil. Two parameters were proposed accordingly to quantify the anisotropic strength under general conditions, taking the special strength anisotropy pattern and cohesive-frictional nature of GRS into account. The proposed parameters enable the direct comparison of strength anisotropy among soils. This study serves as a data set to better understand residual soils regarding their anisotropic behaviors under generalized conditions. Although specific to granite residual soils in China, this study is expected to be more widely applicable to other weathered geomaterials.

     

Prediction of residual friction angle of clays using artificial neural network

The residual strength of clay is very important to evaluate long term stability of proposed and existing slopes and for remedial measure for failure slopes. Various attempts have been made to correlate the residual friction angle (_r) with index properties of soil. This paper presents a neural network model to predict the residual friction angle based on clay fraction and Atterberg's limits. Different sensitivity analysis was made to find out the important parameters affecting the residual friction angle. Emphasis is placed on the construction of neural interpretation diagram, based on the weights of the developed neural network model, to find out direct or inverse effect of soil properties on the residual shear angle. A prediction model equation is established with the weights of the neural network as the model parameters.     

Effects of coarse-grained material on hydraulic properties and shear strength of top soil

Sidewalk failures associated with top soil of low shear strength are a common problem in urban areas. Mixing top soil with granite chips can be used to increase its permeability and shear strength. The effects of mixing granite chips with top soils on the hydraulic properties and shear strength under saturated and unsaturated conditions were investigated in this study. The results showed that the mixing top soils with granite chips caused changes in several key parameters of the soil–water characteristic curve (e.g., the air-entry value, the residual matric suction, and the residual volumetric water content) and the unsaturated permeability of the top soils. The saturated permeability and shear strength of the soil mixture increased with increasing content of granite chips.     

基于工程包边法的膨胀土抗剪强度干湿循环效应试验研究

根据包边法施工中填芯重塑膨胀土和包边石灰改性膨胀土的实际工程状态,设计了反映其运营状态的干湿循环过程,对6次干湿循环前、后膨胀土的强度特性进行了较为系统地试验研究。结果表明,在压实度为90%~96%时,干湿循环前重塑膨胀土和石灰改性膨胀土慢剪强度及强度参数均随干密度单调增加,而干湿循环后其黏聚力c随干密度单调增加,干密度对内摩擦角φ的影响则明显变小;重塑膨胀土和石灰改性膨胀土干湿循环后的残余强度受干密度制约性不大,但干湿循环前、后重塑膨胀土和石灰改性膨胀土的残余强度参数存在差异,且干湿循环幅度对膨胀土强度参数也有一定的影响;在分析干湿循环前、后反复剪切试验结果及膨胀土边坡长期破坏机制的基础上,认为对于膨胀土路堤,在进行强度参数选取时宜适当考虑干湿循环及其幅度对于残余强度参数的影响;利用石灰改性膨胀土包边处理填筑膨胀土路基较为适宜。     

高压力下层间错动带残余强度特性和颗粒破碎试验研究

针对某水电站层间错动带的原状样与重塑样,模拟现场地应力条件,在试验法向应力高达10 MPa条件下开展了反复直剪试验。试验结果表明：原状样峰值强度高于重塑样,但强度下降较快,二者残余强度趋于一致;此外,试样发生了大规模的颗粒破碎,采用颗粒相对破碎势Br量化重塑样剪切面附近区域与非剪切面附近区域颗粒破碎程度,对比发现,前者颗粒破碎程度高于后者,且破碎机制不同;剪切面颗粒破碎是高压力下残余强度包线非线性的根本原因：剪切强度的下降（残余强度与峰值强度的比值）与Br和S2（试验前后小于粒径< 2 µm 颗粒含量的比值）呈线性关系,颗粒破碎导致的能量释放和不断产生的黏粒（< 2 µm）降低了剪切强度。     

Factors influencing undrained strength of fine-grained soils at high water contents

Understanding the undrained strength of fine-grained soils has been of interest to geotechnical researchers from many practical considerations. In several civil engineering applications, water content of soil is quite high being near or above the liquid limit of soils, and understanding the factors responsible for imparting the strength of soil at high water contents is of great significance. Recently, it has been reported in the literature that the shear strength of soils at these limiting water contents has significant variation. However, the reasons and the factors that probably influence for this variation have not been reported in the literature. This experimental investigation is an attempt in the direction of understanding the reasons for the variation in the undrained strength at higher limiting water content, namely liquid limit considering the various influencing factors like clay mineralogy and fine-sand content present in soil used for determining liquid limit. The results from this study are quite revealing and have been explained based on the mechanisms controlling the undrained strength at liquid limit.     

考虑降雨的非饱和土边坡稳定性分析方法

降雨往往是引起热带和亚热带的膨胀土、残积土边坡失稳的主要促发因素。地处热带和亚热带的膨胀土、残积土往往是非饱和的，由于吸力的存在，土体抗剪强度较高，土坡是稳定的，一旦发生降雨，雨水将渗入土体，土体饱和度增加，吸力锐减并引起抗剪强度大幅度下降，当持续降雨的历时和强度超过一定程度时，则可导致土坡失稳。采用极限平衡分析方法，建立了一套能考虑水分入渗的非饱和土边坡的稳定性分析方法，该方法考虑在降雨后土坡水分为一分布场及抗剪强度参数为饱和度的函数。给出了一个计算实例。计算结果表明，降雨引起的土坡失稳往往为浅层破坏。     

Direct shear testing of polished slickensided surfaces

A series of ring shear and direct shear tests were performed to measure the drained residual strength of three clay soils. For each of the soils, slickensided direct shear specimens were prepared by wire-cutting intact specimens, and polishing the resulting shear plane on a variety of surfaces to align the clay particles in the direction of shear. Drained direct shear tests were then conducted on each of the polished specimens. The resulting shear strengths were compared with the residual strengths measured in the ring shear device to evaluate the effectiveness of the different polishing techniques for creating slickensided surfaces. Test results indicated that the measurement of residual strengths along preformed slickensided surfaces is extremely sensitive to both the soil type and the slickenside preparation technique that is used. Consequently, this approach does not appear to be a viable alternative to conventional repeated direct shear or ring shear tests to measure residual shear strengths.     

Triaxial shear testing of polished slickensided surfaces

A series of consolidated-drained triaxial tests were performed on precut and polished clay specimens to measure their drained residual strength. Two soils were tested during this research program: Rancho Solano Clay and San Francisco Bay Mud. Specimens were tested using a specially modified triaxial compression device which was developed to minimize the effects of end-platen restraint on the measured strengths. Special attention was paid to the influence of changing specimen area and membrane effects during the test. Triaxial test results were compared with baseline measurements of drained residual shear strength that were made for each of the clay soils using Bromhead ring shear tests and polished-specimen direct shear tests. Residual strength values measured in the triaxial device were higher than the drained residual strengths measured in the Bromhead ring shear apparatus and the direct shear device, indicating that this test approach is more challenging than the use of direct shear tests conducted on polished slickensided surfaces. Comparison of single stage and multistage triaxial test data indicates that multistage triaxial testing may work well for specimens that fail along a well-defined plane, provided that careful attention is given to the effects of end platen restraint, membrane restraint, and changes in specimen area during shear.     

Sustainable Improvement of Tropical Residual Soil Using an Environmentally Friendly Additive

Many tropical residual laterites have relatively poor engineering properties due to the significant percentage of fine-grained soil particles that they contain, which are formed by the soil weathering process. The widespread presence of laterite soils in tropical regions often requires that some form of soil improvement be performed to allow for their use in various civil engineering applications, such as for road base or subbase construction. One of the most commonly utilized stabilization techniques for laterite soils is the application of additives that chemically react with the minerals that are present in soil to enhance its overall strength; effective soil stabilization can allow for the use of site-specific soils, and can consequently result in significant cost savings for a given project. With an increasing focus on the use of more environmentally friendly and sustainable materials in the built and natural environments, there is an emerging interest in eco-friendly additives that are an alternative to traditional chemical stabilizers. The current study examines the viability of xanthan gum as an environmentally friendly stabilizer that can improve the engineering properties of tropical residual laterite soil. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, standard direct shear tests, Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (N₂-BET) surface area analysis tests and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) tests were used to investigate the effectiveness of xanthan gum for stabilization of a tropical laterite soil. The UCS test results showed that addition of 1.5% xanthan gum by weight yielded optimum stabilization, increasing the unconfined compressive strength of the laterite soil noticeably. Similarly, direct shear testing of 1.5% xanthan gum stabilized laterite specimens showed increasing Mohr–Coulomb shear strength parameters with increases in curing time. From the FESEM results, it was observed that the stabilization process modified the pore-network morphology of the laterite soil, while also forming new white layers on the surface of the clay particles. Analysis of the test results indicated that xanthan gum stabilization was effective for use on a tropical residual laterite soil, providing an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional soil stabilization additives such as cement or lime.     

水泥加固不同地区软土的试验研究

对不同地区软土经水泥加固后的强度形成特征进行了研究。进行直接剪切试验及无侧限抗压试验测定了水泥加固土的力学指标,发现不同地区的软土经水泥加固后力学性质存在很大差异,从试样的粒度成分、有机质含量及加固后试样的微观结构特征等方面对此进行解释。结果表明,试样的粒度成分及有机质含量会对加固效果产生很大影响,黏粒含量越大,有机质含量越高,对水泥加固土强度的形成越不利。为在用水泥进行不同性质的软土加固处理时采取合理的附加措施提供了理论依据。     

荷载作用下黏性土坡位移场应变场分析

通过室内土坡模型试验,研究了在荷载作用下黏性土坡竖向位移随深度的变化规律、土坡大主应变与最大剪应变分布、土坡的蠕变特性及裂缝作用机制。结果表明,随着荷载的逐渐增大,土坡微结构蠕变不断增加,土体的蠕变过程实质上是土体损伤过程,是土坡微结构能量耗散的过程。土坡的蠕变和损伤积累随着加荷时间延续而增大,损伤各向异性更加明显。坡顶和斜坡面处的损伤程度较大,在坡顶和斜坡面出现裂缝,坡顶的竖向位移大于侧向位移,相反坡底处侧向位移大于竖向位移。     

不同因素影响下层间错动带颗粒破碎和剪切强度特性试验研究

为了获得不同初始颗粒粒径分布和含水率对层间错动带颗粒破碎和剪切强度特性的影响,通过对比泥夹碎屑、泥夹粉砂、全泥型3种不同层间错动带类型与现场3种不同含水率（10%、7%和3%）试样在法向压力2～10 MPa作用下的反复直剪试验和剪切面颗粒粒径分析试验结果,可得出以下结论：①粗颗粒越多（d60越大）,采用相对颗粒破碎势Br量化的颗粒破碎程度越大;②较干颗粒（低含水率）由于磨损产生了更多的细小颗粒,而较湿颗粒（高含水率）由于破裂和摩擦产生了较大颗粒;③粗颗粒仅对峰值抗剪强度产生一定的影响,且粗颗粒越多,残余强度包线非线性越强;④黏聚力和内摩擦角随含水率线性减小,且低含水率试样残余强度包线非线性最强;⑤残余内摩擦角随颗粒破碎后的黏粒含量（<2 μm）线性减小。提出的残余内摩擦角初步预测公式可供实际工程参考。