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.     

Water Content Ratio: An Effective Substitute for Liquidity Index for Prediction of Shear Strength of Clays

Undrained shear strength of saturated clays is a very important property in geo-technical engineering practice. Since the collection of undisturbed samples and testing the same is difficult task and time consuming process, any attempt to obtain correlations between shear strength and consistency limits would be highly desirable. Several attempts have been made in the past to correlate shear strength with Liquidity index. The computation of Liquidity index involves the value of plastic limit determined by Casagrande thread rolling method; but the determination of the same is relatively a difficult task in geotechnical engineering practice especially so in less plastic soils. It has been shown that a good linear correlation exists between log of shear strength and water content ratio (ratio of water content to liquid limit). With the help of numerous experimental results, it could be established that water content ratio could replace the well-known parameter liquidity index to predict shear strength. This enables to eliminate the determination of the plastic limit. The relation between water content ratio and liquidity index depends on the liquid limit to plastic limit ratio, irrespective of the geological origin of the soil.     

含水率对重塑淤泥不排水强度性质的影响

通过室内调配不同含水率的重塑淤泥,利用研制的室内微型高精度十字板剪切仪,研究了含水率对重塑淤泥重塑不排水强度的影响。该仪器的剪切强度分辨率为1 Pa,经试验验证,仪器测量结果的稳定性较好,但对强度越低的重塑淤泥试样其测量值的相对平均偏差越大。淤泥含水率对淤泥的不排水强度有显著影响,不排水强度均随含水率/液限的增大而减小,含水率/液限越大,不排水强度下降趋势越小。相同的含水率/液限时,不同种类的重塑淤泥的不排水强度比较接近。在双对数坐标中,不排水强度均随含水率/液限的增大而线性减小。由试验数据得出了不同种类重塑淤泥的不排水强度与含水率/液限之间的关系式,利用该关系式可以求得每一种重塑淤泥任意含水率下的不排水强度。文中的试验值大于洪振舜提出的关系式的计算值。当IL >2时,试验值与Locat和Leroueil提出的关系式的计算值基本吻合,当IL <2时,试验值大于Locat和Leroueil提出的关系式的计算值。     

不同含水量下原状黄土动强度和震陷的试验研究

对原状黄土进行动三轴试验,探讨了黄土的动强度和震陷随含水量的变化规律。试验结果表明,塑限含水量可作为黄土动强度和震陷的界限含水量,小于塑限的含水量变化对震陷临界动应力和动粘聚力的影响非常显著,大于塑限的含水量变化对其影响微弱,而动摩擦角不受含水量的影响。通过对震陷曲线的定量分析,说明有必要对黄土的震陷性进行分类。     

根据参数反演结果分析非饱和黄土边坡破坏机理

边坡的变形破坏本质上有两方面的因素控制,(1)开挖或堆载引起斜坡内应力的重分布; (2)地表水渗入或地下水变动引起其抗剪强度的变化。大部分黄土路堑边坡位于地下水位以上,斜坡开挖以后,应力不再改变。 如果不是在人工灌溉区,其破坏大多可归结为降雨入渗引起的黄土抗剪强度的降低。对于非饱和黄土来讲,其孔隙水压力为负值,传统的Terzaghi有效应力原理不适用于Mohr-Coulomb抗剪强度公式,而Bishop的非饱和土有效应力公式中参数测定周期很长,技术还不是很成熟,目前在实际工程中应用还不现实。如何基于目前常规的测试方法,合理地确定边坡抗剪强度参数,是值得研究的问题。本文对局部发生滑坡的山西吉家塬黄土路堑51.6m高边坡,采用Bishop法反演边坡c、值; 取边坡上的黄土样,测了不同含水率试样的直接快剪强度参数。将试验结果与反演结果对比发现,含水量在接近土样塑限时的直接快剪试验结果与反演结果较为接近。塑限是土的一个状态界限指标,即固态到塑态含水量的界限值。土由固态进入塑态,土强度显著降低,此时最容易发生变形破坏,这符合土体稠度状态和强度变化的本质。因此建议在黄土边坡设计中,一般可取塑限含水量下的直接快剪强度指标作为边坡稳定性评价的指标。     

Use of Reverse Extrusion Method to Determine Undrained Shear Strength

The unconfined compression test (UCT) is one of the most common tools to measure the undrained shear strength of fine-grained soils. Soft to very soft soils often pose problems such that the determination of failure load is unclear using this test. Similarly, fissured clays would endeavor failure along pre-existing planes of weakness. The reverse extrusion test (RET), a mechanical metallurgy tool, has been used recently in some soil mechanics applications. The scope of this investigation is to evaluate the potential of the RET as a substitute for the UCT. Sixty remolded soils and 75 natural soils were subjected to the RET and UCT. Remolded soils were tested on mixtures prepared at the plastic limit. It was found that the ratio of extrusion pressure at failure to the undrained shear strength is relatively consistent and concentrates around 14. The same ratio was found to be 15 for natural soils. The conclusion reached, upon a series of tests on both the remolded and natural soil samples, is that the RET better represents the undrained shear strength of soil than does the UCT, that the practical difficulties with UCT is eliminated by the RET, and the results may be improved by taking into account soil plasticity.     

Property Correlations and Statistical Variations in the Geotechnical Properties of (CH) Clay Soils

This study was focused on the correlations between the physical and mechanical properties and geostatistical analysis of the clay of high plasticity (CH) soil based on the experimental data and the data collected from various research studies. Four types of CH soil with liquid limit (LL) of 50, 62, 76 and 88% were collected from the field, tested, compared with the data from literature and qualified using hyperbolic model. X-ray diffraction analyses showed the major constituents of the CH soil with LL of 50% were calcium silicate (Ca₂SiO₄), aluminum silicate (Al₂SiO₅) and quartz (SiO₂) and the major constituents of the CH soil with LL of 88% were montmorillonite (Na, Ca) _0.33(Al, Mg) ₂(Si₄O₁₀) (OH)₂·nH₂O, kaolinite (Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄) and quartz (SiO₂). The index properties, compacted properties, free swelling and compressive strength of the CH soils were investigated and quantified with over 1000 data collected from the literature. Using the mean (μ), standard deviation (σ), variation (σ²) and coefficient of variation parameters of CH soils properties such as density (γ), index properties (LL and PL), compaction properties (OMC and γ_dmax), swelling index (FS), initial void ratio (e_o), compression index (Cc) and undrained shear strength (S_u) properties were also studied. Liquid limit of CH soils varied between 50 and 110% and plasticity index varied between 26 and 72%. The wet unit weight (γ_wet) for the CH soils varied from 1.30 to 2.19 g/cm³. Undrained shear strength (S_u) of CH soils were varied from 10 to 184 kPa and quantified very well as a function of liquid limit, plasticity index, moisture content and dry density using the experimental data and data collected from the literature.     

Effects of surfactants and electrolyte solutions on the properties of soil

Biosurfactants are frequently used in petroleum hydrocarbon and dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) remediation. The applicability of biosurfactant use in clayey soils requires an understanding and characterization of their interaction. Comprehensive effects of surfactants and electrolyte solutions on kaolinite clay soil were investigated for index properties, compaction, strength characteristics, hydraulic conductivities, and adsorption characteristics. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and NaPO₃ decreased the liquid limit and plasticity index of the test soil. Maximum dry unit weights were increased and optimum moisture contents were decreased as SDS and biosurfactant were added for the compaction tests for mixtures of 30% kaolinite and 70% sand. The addition of non-ionic surfactant, biosurfactant, and CaCl₂ increased the initial elastic modulus and undrained shear strength of the kaolinite–sand mixture soils. Hydraulic conductivities were measured by fixed-wall double-ring permeameters. Results showed that the hydraulic conductivity was not significantly affected, but slightly decreased from 1×10⁻⁷ cm/s (water) to 0.3×10⁻⁷ cm/s for Triton X-100 and SDS. The adsorption characteristics of the chemicals onto kaolinite were also investigated by developing isotherm curves. SDS adsorbed onto soil particles with the strongest bonding strength of the fluids tested. Correlations among parameters were developed for surfactants, electrolyte solutions, and clayey soils.     

饱和土体静态液化失稳理论预测

通过在屈服准则和剪胀性方程中引入材料状态参数,建立了一个与材料状态相关的本构模型,用于模拟不同初始孔隙比和围压下土体的应力-应变关系。基于二阶功理论,建立了饱和土体静态液化失稳理论判别准则。通过预测一系列饱和松砂三轴不排水试验结果,验证了所建立的本构模型及判别预测准则的合理性。分析结果表明,静态液化发生于土体硬化阶段,静态液化触发伴随着剪应力达到峰值,其后剪应力降低且孔隙水压力持续增长。进一步地,模拟了充分降解的城市固体废弃物在不排水条件下的应力-应变特性,并预测到了潜在失稳线及静态液化触发点。     

干湿循环作用下原状黄土力学性质及细观损伤研究

增湿-减湿循环作用是黄土地区工程发生病害的主要原因之一,探究增湿-减湿循环对黄土体结构损伤机理有重要的理论和工程意义。本文以延安地区的黄土为研究对象,开展不同含水率、不同次数的原状黄土增湿-减湿循环试验,分析干湿循环诱发黄土孔隙率、抗剪强度及其参数的变化规律,同时使用核磁共振技术获取黄土内部裂隙发展的损伤演化。结果表明:随着干湿循环次数的增多,土体呈现出孔隙率逐渐增大、液限和塑性指数相继减小、塑限基本不变的规律,究其原因是内部颗粒的集、散动态变化引发了黄土损伤;干湿循环次数和含水率的增加弱化了土体颗粒的胶结作用,使得抗剪强度、黏聚力和内摩擦角降低,当试样含水率超过塑限后下降趋势更加明显;黄土历经核磁共振表明,试样内部小于0.025 μm的微孔隙随着干湿循环次数的增加逐渐向0.025~0.63 μm的小孔隙组过渡,同时新生孔隙开始产生。     

连云港软黏土的不排水强度试验研究

对连云港软黏土不扰动样和重塑样进行三轴CU对比试验研究。结果表明,不扰动样的不排水强度包线是由以屈服压力为界的双折线组成,而重塑样的不排水强度包线可以用通过圆点的直线表示。屈服前阶段,不扰动样由于受结构性影响产生的抵抗作用,其不排水强度包线高于重塑样;屈服后阶段,不扰动样的不排水强度包线介于具有不同初始含水率的重塑样的包线之间。通过对比分析,发现不扰动样与重塑样的不排水强度包线存在差异的主要原因是由于试样的不同初始含水率引起的。不扰动样在屈服后阶段的含水率变化规律与不排水强度增长规律与重塑土相一致,采用Burland提出的孔隙指数Iv,可将不同初始含水率重塑样及屈服后阶段不扰动样的压缩性状较好地归一化。     

Estimation of undrained shear strength in moderately OC clays based on field vane test data

The undrained shear strength (s _u) of cohesive soils is a crucial parameter for many geotechnical engineering applications. Due to the complexities and uncertainties associated with laboratory and in situ tests, it is a challenging task to obtain the undrained shear strength in a reliable and economical manner. In this study, a probabilistic model for the s _u of moderately overconsolidated clays is developed using the Bayesian model class selection approach. The model is based on a comprehensive geotechnical database compiled for this study with field measurements of field vane strength (s _u), plastic limit (PL), natural water content (W _n), liquid limit (LL), vertical effective overburden stress (\(\sigma_{\nu }^{\prime }\)), preconsolidation pressure (\(\sigma_{\text{p}}^{\prime }\)) and overconsolidated ratio (OCR). Comparison study shows that the proposed model is superior to some well-known empirical relationships for OC clays. The proposed probabilistic model not only provides reliable and economical estimation of s _u but also facilitates reliability-based analysis and design for performance-based engineering applications.     

冻土未冻水含量的量热法试验研究

冻土未冻水含量不但是评价冻土中水分迁移特性的重要指标,而且也是冻土热工计算中常用的参数。采用未冻水测量方法中的经典量热法对采自中俄石油管道工程大庆－漠河段沿线大兴安岭多年冻土带的6类典型土样（共76个）进行了-0.5、-2、-5、-10℃左右负温下的未冻水含量测试。分析了负温温度t、土质类型和初始含水率wo对未冻水含量wu的影响及其变化规律。通过统计分析,给出了6类土在上述4个给定温度下的未冻水含量代表值及其幂函数wu=at-b方程中的参数值。将黏土、粉质黏土、粉土和泥炭质土各给定温度下的未冻水含量对塑限wp归一化,得到各土类各温度下未冻水量系数值。对其进行幂函数拟合得到wu-wp-t经验计算公式。将温度、土质条件和初始含水率3影响因素进行综合分析,得到各类土在给定温度下的wu-wo-wp关系的二元一次线性回归经验方程式,为实际工程应用提供参考。     

落锥法确定粉土液限和塑限的试验研究

针对部分细粒土进行了室内落锥法确定液限和塑限的试验研究,试验结果表明：对于一些细粒土在双对数坐标上圆锥下沉深度与含水率之间的关系并非线性关系,无法依据线性关系确定液、塑限;采用规程建议的3个含水率范围有时根本无法获得有效试验数据,采用规程建议的3个含水率范围确定得到粉土的液、塑限试验结果的可靠性有待商榷;采用直线段试验数据确定的液、塑限进行分类可能出现相互矛盾甚至错误的结果。进一步试验结果表明：对于黏粒含量高于13 %的粉土,由于其抗剪强度以凝聚分量为主,落锥法适用,所测塑性指数能够反映其可塑性;对于部分黏粒含量低于13 %的粉土及外观接近粉土的粉砂,由于其抗剪强度以颗粒间摩擦分量为主,落锥法不再适用,所测塑性指数不能反映其可塑性。     

中膨胀土CMA改性室内试验研究

CMA是一种新型膨胀土生态改性剂,依托合(肥)－六(安)－叶(集)高速公路工程,对CMA改性后中膨胀土的基本物理性质、击实特性、胀缩特性、力学特性等进行了3种配方的室内对比试验研究。结果表明,中膨胀土经CMA改性后,其自由膨胀率由改性前的71 %下降到20 %左右,液限和塑性指数也显著降低,亲水能力大幅度下降;胶粒含量明显下降,粉粒含量增加,说明改性后粒度组成已接近粉土;各项胀缩性指标较改性前也有大幅度下降,无荷膨胀率约为改性前的2 %,膨胀力约为改性前的5 %;改性土的CBR值可达50 %,浸水变形不到1 %;在非饱水和饱水状态下,改性土都具有较高的抗剪强度和无侧限抗压强度,说明改性后其水稳定性较好。经对比分析,认为1#配方改性效果最好,较适用于合肥膨胀土的改性处理。     

红黏土路基填筑压实度控制指标探讨

红黏土属于一类典型的特殊土,路基施工规范指出,特殊填料进行填筑路基时可根据具体情况适当降低压实度要求,并且规定有些高液限、高塑指黏土不能直接作为路基填料填筑。利用某高速公路处的红黏土进行了重型击实和承载比试验,试验结果表明：红黏土在最优含水率附近具有很强的水敏性。最优含水率点对应的CBR值并非最大值,其最大CBR值对应的含水率大于最优含水率3%左右,在此基础上结合土体的强度、压缩性、胀缩性、渗透性等指标随压实度变化的规律,确定该桩号红黏土作为下路堤填料其压实度可降低2.5%,填筑含水率控制在35%左右。     

高含水率疏浚淤泥新型复合固化材料试验研究

基于传统水泥固化处理方法,提出了水泥-生石灰-高分子添加剂新型复合固化材料处理高含水率疏浚淤泥的新方法,以期快速降低淤泥含水率并提高固化淤泥的无侧限抗压强度,拓展水泥固化淤泥的含水率范围,达到高效廉价固化处理高含水率疏浚淤泥的目的。通过系列室内试验,探讨了该方法处理后高含水率淤泥的无侧限抗压强度变化规律以及各材料掺入比对强度的影响规律。研究结果表明,水泥掺入比低于7%的新型固化材料处理初始含水率2倍液限的高液限淤泥,早期强度大于0.5 MPa,28 d强度大于1 MPa;固化淤泥强度随龄期、水泥和生石灰掺入比的增大而增大;给出了考虑多因素多水平的无侧限抗压强度预测公式,预测值与实测值基本一致     

高压力下原状层间错动带三轴不排水剪切特性及其影响因素分析

针对某大型水电站揭露的原状层间错动带试样,模拟现场快速施工可能会产生的不排水边界条件,在围压5～30 MPa的高压力条件下开展了不固结不排水三轴试验,并结合试样物理性质的差异,分析讨论了原状层间错动带的力学特性。试样试验曲线和破坏模式主要由高围压控制：其应力-应变关系曲线均为应变硬化型且破坏后呈腰鼓状为塑性破坏。此外,较湿颗粒发生了大规模的颗粒破碎,其是造成高饱和度试样强度包线的趋势线随围压降低的根本原因。试验结果明显受物理性质影响造成了试验数据离散性,敏感性分析表明,围压P和饱和度 对初始弹性模量 和破坏强度 的影响最大,其次是孔隙比e,颗粒粒径（ ）分布对其影响程度最小。根据试样剪切特性建立的强度特征（ 和 ）初步预测公式可供实际工程参考。     

Laboratory Investigation into the Effects of Silty Fines on Liquefaction Susceptibility of Chlef (Algeria) Sandy Soils

In a number of recent case studies, the liquefaction of silty sands has been reported. To investigate the undrained shear and deformation behaviour of Chlef sand–silt mixtures, a series of monotonic and stress-controlled cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on sand encountered at the site. The aim of this laboratory investigation is to study the influence of silt contents, expressed by means of the equivalent void ratio on undrained residual shear strength of loose, medium dense and dense sand–silt mixtures under monotonic loading and liquefaction potential under cyclic loading. After an earthquake event, the prediction of the post-liquefaction strength is becoming a challenging task in order to ensure the stability of different types of earth structures. Thus, the choice of the appropriate undrained residual shear strength of silty sandy soils that are prone to liquefaction to be used in engineering practice design should be established. To achieve this, a series of undrained triaxial tests were conducted on reconstituted saturated silty sand samples with different fines contents ranging from 0 to 40 %. In all tests, the confining pressure was held constant at 100 kPa. From the experimental results obtained, it is clear that the global void ratio cannot be used as a state parameter and may not characterize the actual behaviour of the soil as well. The equivalent void ratio expressing the fine particles participation in soil strength is then introduced. A linear relationship between the undrained shear residual shear strength and the equivalent void ratio has been obtained for the studied range of the fines contents. Cyclic test results confirm that the increase in the equivalent void ratio and the fines content accelerates the liquefaction phenomenon for the studied stress ratio and the liquefaction resistance decreases with the increase in either the equivalent void ratio or the loading amplitude level. These cyclic tests results confirm the obtained monotonic tests results.     

Undrained expansion of a cylindrical cavity in clays with fabric anisotropy: theoretical solution

This paper presents a novel, exact, semi-analytical solution for the quasi-static undrained expansion of a cylindrical cavity in soft soils with fabric anisotropy. This is the first theoretical solution of the undrained expansion of a cylindrical cavity under plane strain conditions for soft soils with anisotropic behaviour of plastic nature. The solution is rigorously developed in detail, introducing a new stress invariant to deal with the soil fabric. The semi-analytical solution requires numerical evaluation of a system of six first-order ordinary differential equations. The results agree with finite element analyses and show the influence of anisotropic plastic behaviour. The effective stresses at critical state are constant, and they may be analytically related to the undrained shear strength. The initial vertical cross-anisotropy caused by soil deposition changes towards a radial cross-anisotropy after cavity expansion. The analysis of the stress paths shows that proper modelling of anisotropic plastic behaviour involves modelling not only the initial fabric anisotropy but also its evolution with plastic straining.