| Abstract: | A simple model for compaction of a sand, that may be useful in various geotechnical applications is presented. The model has been formulated in terms of the cyclic stress and strain amplitudes. The compaction properties of a dry sand are characterized by a common compaction curve described by two coefficients. The second aim of this paper is to show some applications of the theory proposed. The attention has been restricted to the two extreme cases of practical importance, namely to the behaviour of a dry sand (or a saturated sand but in free draining conditions), and to the behaviour of saturated sand in undrained conditions. Some numerical algorithms showing how to deal with those problems are presented and illustrated on the following examples: settlement and pore pressure generation in a soil stratum subjected to an earthquake, settlement of a foundation, pore pressure generation and liquefaction in a sea-bed. The results obtained suggest that the model proposed, as well as a method of dealing with boundary value problems can serve as a useful tool for the analysis of a sandy subsoil subjected to cyclic loadings. |
