Strength and structure of laterites and lateritic soils

Ten soils from Puerto Rico representing various states of weathering were subjected to engineering index tests, strength and density measurement, mineralogic analyses, and scanning electron microscopy.Engineering classification systems used for temperate soils tend to underestimate the engineering behavior of these undisturbed lateritic soils and in the undisturbed state the soils exhibit low densities and high strengths.The engineering properties of the undisturbed soils show systematic trends in relation to the degree of weathering and the parent rock. For a given rock, the void ratio is decreased and cohesion increased as weathering proceeds. This is the result of increasing crystallization and cementation by the sesquioxides.The specific gravity of the solid particles is a promising index property to characterize these lateritic soils insofar as it reflects iron oxide content. The decrease in void ratio and increase in cohesion with increasing specific gravity suggests a model for the engineering classification of tropical soils.     

扰动后黏土强度指标与细观参数相关性初探

受扰动后土体抗剪强度常发生衰减,从细观尺度探讨了黏土细观参数与动后强度指标的关系。发现扭剪和单剪对土体静强度影响显著,稳定后强度折减范围在20%～50%,但仍然高于重塑土静强度。随着扰动次数增加,黏聚力与内摩擦角均表现出前期迅速衰减,之后放缓并稳定的趋势。选取了5种典型细观参数进行分析,发现扭剪作用下,土体纵断面与横断面孔隙数增长率相近;单剪作用下,由于径向平面内不存在切应变,横断面的孔隙增长率将小于纵断面。随着细观土颗粒数的增加,黏聚力首先线性下降,之后稳定在较低水平;而内摩擦角未呈现收敛趋势。     

大连新港的红粘土及其工程特性的形成

在大连新港油罐区的建设中,发现了一种具有高孔隙性、高含水量、高塑性、中低压缩性的特殊土。作者对这种土及其母岩的矿物学、岩石学、地球化学、物理化学和工程特性进行了系统研究,揭示了该区红粘土及其工程特性的形成机理,该区红粘土乃是蒙脱石化的粗玄岩,在中温带气候区红土花作用的产物。     

粤西滨海核电厂址强风化花岗岩物理力学特性试验研究

以广东阳江和台山两个典型花岗岩核电厂址为例,定性描述了广东粤西沿海花岗岩的分布及其风化特征,通过进行波速测试、浅层平板载荷试验、原位剪切试验等原位测试,以及常规压缩试验、固结试验等室内试验,系统分析了强风化花岗岩的主要物理与力学性质指标。结果表明：（1）花岗岩受强烈的物理风化和化学风化作用,基岩中的不稳定元素被淋溶、流失,形成了富铝型和富铁型的厚层风化壳,岩层不均匀性特点突出;（2）强风化花岗岩岩体天然含水率和孔隙比变化大,天然重度变化小,压缩性中等;（3）粒度成分对岩石物理性质的影响最大。粒度越大,物性指标越弱。粒度越小,表明岩样越致密,其物性指标越强;（4）波速的大小与岩体风化程度、粒度成分等密切相关;（5）水对强风化花岗岩抗剪强度参数中的凝聚力影响效应比内摩擦角要大,对凝聚力的弱化作用更加明显。其研究结果可为核电工程建设和优化设计提供基础参数。     

Cone-penetrometer exploration of Sinkholes: Stratigraphy and soil properties

Four sinkholes with varying surficial expressions were subjected to detailed stratigraphic and soil analysis by means of Standard Penetration Tests (SPT) and Electric Friction Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) in order to evaluate applications of CPT to sinkhole investigations. Although widely used, SPT data are of limited value and difficult to apply to sinkhole mapping. CPT is sensitive to minor lithologic variability and is superior to SPT as a cost-effective technique for determining geotechnical properties of sinkholes. The effectiveness of CPT data results from the force measurements made along the sleeve of the cone. The friction ratio (ratio of sleeve to tip resistance) is a good indicator of soil stratigraphy and properties. By smoothing the friction-ratio data, general stratigraphy and changes in soil properties are easily identified. Stratigraphy of the sinks has been complicated by intense weathering, karstification and marine, transgressions. The resulting deposits include five stratigraphic units. I and II represent Plio-Pleistocene marine sediments with Unit II being the zone of soil clay accumulation. III and IV are horizons residual from Miocene strata and indicate an episode of karstification prior to deposition of Units I and II. Conduit fill is a mixture of materials with low cohesion. The fill materials indicate centripetal and downward movement of insoluble sediments derived from the surrounding strata. Loss of cohesion results in near-zero friction ratios. Very low friction ratios, coupled with materials with little cohesion, indicate potentially-liquefiable soils in the immediate vicinity of zones where piping failure may be imminent. SPT does not provide sufficient data to predict these zones of potential, failure. CPT provides sufficient information for recognition of sinkhole stratigraphy and geotechnical properties. When coupled with laboratory soil analysis, CPT provides unique information about sinkhole geometry and dynamics. In contrast, SPT data fail to produce consistent indicators of sinkhole stratigraphy or properties. With laboratory soil data, SPT indicates general, inconclusive trends.     

层厚比对水平砂泥岩互层岩体抗剪强度参数的影响

现有标准规定砂泥岩互层岩体的抗剪强度参数,当层厚在5 m以下时按泥岩取值,对不同工程场景、不同的层厚比例关系未做进一步区分。引入泥岩层厚与砂岩层厚之比,即层厚比,利用FLAC3D建立不同层厚比的水平砂泥岩互层岩体三轴数值试验模型,探索了层厚比对水平砂泥岩互层岩体的抗剪强度参数和变形特征的影响规律。结果表明:当岩层总厚度不变,层厚比以0.75为界,当层厚比小于0.75时,层厚比越小岩体黏聚力越大,反应砂岩对岩体黏聚力有增大效应,在此区间内水平砂泥岩互层岩体黏聚力可按1～4倍的泥岩黏聚力取值;同样,岩体内摩擦角仅按泥岩取值也不客观,但其随层厚比的变化规律不明显。当层厚比大于0.75时,水平砂泥岩互层岩体抗剪强度参数按泥岩取值是可行的。当层厚比不变,层厚对水平砂泥岩互层岩体的抗剪强度参数有明显影响,层厚比小于0.2时,互层岩体的黏聚力随层厚变化较大;层厚比大于0.2时,互层岩体的黏聚力随层厚的变化较小,可按泥岩取值。层厚比小于0.75时,互层岩体的内摩擦角随层厚变化较大;层厚比大于0.75时,岩体内摩擦角随层厚的变化较小,可按泥岩取值。水平砂泥岩互层岩体的变形特征也同岩体层厚比和层厚有关。层厚比较小时,岩体变形发生在砂岩层,破坏范围较大;随着层厚比的增大,其变形破坏发生在软岩部分,硬岩部分基本不出现变形或出现少量变形;若岩体层厚比不变,层厚减小,岩体的变形范围变大。     

Laboratory Investigation of the Resistance of Tailings and Natural Sediments to Cyclic Loading

A number of cyclic triaxial tests were carried out on mine tailings and natural sediment samples under undrained conditions to investigate their resistance to cyclic loading. The tests were performed on more than 100 samples with a cyclic shear stress ratio ranging from 0.10 to 0.40 under varying void ratio and the same confining pressure. It was observed that the axial strain and excess pore water pressure increased with the number of loading cycles while the effective stress decreased with increasing number of loading cycles. The liquefaction resistance of the tailings was also observed to be higher than that of natural soils with similar particle size distribution, void ratio and plasticity index. It was observed that the influence of specific gravity on the cyclic strength of mine tailings is significant. The results showed that the cyclic resistance of the tailings was not strongly influenced by plasticity index for low plasticity tailings. A boundary relationship between void ratio and normalized cyclic resistance ratio was established based on the results.     

昆明呈贡次生红黏土物理力学指标统计规律研究

为分析昆明呈贡次生红黏土物理力学指标的统计规律,以呈贡吴家营片区69个岩土工程勘察钻孔的275组次生红黏土试样的指标数据为研究对象,基于统计分析原理,运用SPSS统计分析软件,分析了13个指标的变化范围、平均值、标准差、变异系数及指标与深度的相关性,总结次生红黏土的物理力学特性,拟合指标间的线性经验公式,用偏斜度和峰值法检验指标的正态分布规律。结果表明:次生红黏土的土粒相对密度大,塑限和液限低,以可塑状态为主,压缩性高,抗剪强度低;指标与深度的相关性不高,力学指标的离散性比物理指标大,次生红黏土指标的离散性比原生红黏土大;指标间的相关性总体较弱,孔隙比、压缩系数、湿密度及内摩擦角与含水比呈负相关,压缩模量、黏聚力、湿密度及塑性指数与天然含水率呈正相关;仅湿密度、孔隙比和内摩擦角服从正态分布。研究结果为昆明呈贡地区岩土工程设计、土工参数的选取提供参考,为次生红黏土地区的工程防灾减灾提供基础依据。      

循环荷载下人工结构性土变形与强度特性试验研究

针对长期动载作用下天然沉积结构性黏土地基强度和刚度循环软化问题,分别以水泥和食糖为模拟粒间胶结和大孔隙的材料,制备了不同胶结强度和初始孔隙比的人工结构性土,开展了人工结构性土与相应重塑土的动三轴试验,分析了土体胶结强度、初始孔隙比、围压和动应力幅值对累积变形和动强度的影响规律。试验结果表明：累积应变-振动次数曲线以临界循环应力为界分为：塑性安定型、临界型和破坏型;临界循环应力随胶结强度增大、初始孔隙比减小而增大;土体胶结强度越高,脆性破坏越明显,累积应变曲线转折点对应的应变越小。动强度的应变破坏标准采用转折点应变值更符合土性变化规律;动强度随胶结强度增大、初始孔隙比减小而增大;动黏聚力cd随破坏振次增大而降低,而动内摩擦角?d基本不变。试验结果可为软弱土地基动力灾变控制提供有益参考。     

钙质土的剪切特性试验研究

钙质土因其颗粒形状不规则、易破碎、高孔隙比等特征,其力学性质较为特殊。采用室内大型直接剪切试验设备,对取自南海珊瑚礁和三亚岸礁的粗颗粒钙质土进行了直剪试验,研究了粗颗粒钙质土在不同含水率、不同密度和不同矿物组成条件下的钙质土剪切特性。结果表明,粗颗粒钙质土表现出与常规无黏性土截然不同的力学性质,即（1）与石英砂相比,表观黏聚力较大,内摩擦角较高,软化性较弱;（2）表观黏聚力随着平均粒径的增大而增大,内摩擦角随着干密度的增大而增大;（3）与峰值强度相比,土体剪切破坏后其残余强度的表观黏聚力锐减而内摩擦角仅略有减小。研究成果可为岛礁工程建设提供借鉴,也可为其他粗颗粒土的研究提供参考。     

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Sands Reinforced with Discrete Randomly Distributed Fiber

The addition of cementitious admixtures and/or inclusion of fibers are frequently used in practice to stabilize soils and to improve their mechanical properties. In this study, ring shear tests were conducted to investigate mechanical properties such as shear strength, angle of friction and cohesion values of randomly distributed discrete fiber-reinforced sand mixtures. The length and aspect ratio of the fibers used in the current study were 12 mm and 120, respectively. Specimens were prepared at four different fiber ratios (0.1, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 % by weight of sand). A series of ring shear tests were carried out on sand alone and fiber-reinforced sand mixtures at different normal stresses. The test results indicated that the addition of fiber had a significant effect on the shear strength of the sand. Shear stress of the unreinforced sand increases 1.29–2.32, 1.16–1.39, and 1.07–1.5 times at a normal stress of 50, 150, and 250 kPa, respectively with fiber inclusion. Fiber content had positive effects on improving the shear strength parameters (angle of internal friction and cohesion) of the mixtures. The cohesion and angle of internal friction of fiber-reinforced sand prepared at different ratios of fiber increased by 5.3–27.4 kPa and 2.0°–7.3° respectively. The inclusion of fibers improves the ductility of the soil by preventing the loss of post-peak strength.     

Interpretation of soil nitrite-ammonium ratios with possible application to pedogeochemical exploration for platinum mineralization

The nitrogenous compounds ammonia, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, and diatomic nitrogen play important roles in the geochemical cycle of nitrogen in the near-surface environment. Ammonia or ammonium (ammine species), depending on the pH, is the stable reduced species, nitrate is the stable oxidized species, and nitrite is a metastable intermediate species. Nitrogen is considered unimportant in the present context because of the impracticality of attempting to detect subtle variations in diatomic nitrogen abundances in Earth's highly nitrogenous atmosphere.Platinum is known to be an effective catalyst of the ammine-nitrite oxidation step. It is shown in laboratory experiments, and field studies involving rocks and soil that the nitrite-ammonium ratio is higher in the presence of Pt than in its absence. In addition, Pd also catalyses this oxidation reaction, but only one-fourth as effectively as Pt. Ammonium and nitrite are significantly more mobile in the weathering environment than are the platinoid elements, suggesting that the nitrite-ammonium ratio my have some value as a pathfinder for platinum group element (PGE) mineralization.Soils collected across a platiniferous vein at Crescent Peak, Clark County, Nevada, serve to illustrate the potential of this technique. Copper, Zn, and Au in soils indicate the presence of mineralized bedrock. Platinum and Pd values are quite low, but the high nitrite to ammonium ratio above the mineralized zone suggests the presence of platinoid elements in underlying bedrock. Background nitrite-ammonium ratios do not exceed 0.6, whereas soils above the PGE-bearing rock have values greater than 6.0.Preliminary bedrock data from the Stillwater Intrusive, Montana, indicate nitrite-ammonium ratios in unmineralized anorthosite and mineralized J-M Reef similar to those of barren and mineralized soils, respectively, at Crescent Peak. This result not only supports the Crescent Peak findings but suggests the possibility of applying this methodology to lithogeochemical exploration.     

Effects of skeleton void ratio on the strength and deformation characteristics of coarse-grained soilEI北大核心

粗粒土强度变形特性与初始级配和制样干密度密切相关。为研究不同级配和密度组合的粗粒料强度变形特性,提出了一种计算简便、易于推广的粗粒土骨架孔隙比计算方法。开展的室内试验结果表明,该计算方法所得的骨架孔隙比与粗粒土力学特性之间存在较为明显的单调性变化规律。当试样尺寸一致时,随着骨架孔隙比减小,破坏剪应力增大,破坏摩擦角增大,黏聚力减小;平均初始切线弹性模量增大,平均初始切线泊松比减小。整体而言,骨架孔隙比越小,粗粒土强度、刚度越大。基于该结论,笔者提出了一种等骨架孔隙比粗粒土缩尺方法。     

水泥稳定再生沥青路面/红土混合物用于软土改良的效果评估

评估了水泥稳定再生沥青路面（RAP）/边缘红土混合物作为碎石桩骨料替代传统采石场骨料的潜力,研究了混合材料在不同RAP置换率和有效约束压力下的不排水剪切强度变化。RAP置换率分别为10%、30%和50%（按干重计）,普通硅酸盐水泥含量分别为1%和3%。很明显,RAP的置换增加了大颗粒,同时减少了细小颗粒,因此增加了压实度。在低于先期固结压力的有效应力下,RAP−土颗粒混合物表现出与孔隙压力降低相关的应变硬化性能。当RAP置换率增加时,水泥稳定的RAP−土颗粒混合物应力−应变曲线的应变软化性能减弱。胶结作用提高了黏聚力,而内摩擦角未产生明显的变化。水泥稳定的RAP−土颗粒混合物的强度和刚度主要取决于胶结强度和RAP置换率。抗剪强度随着非稳定和水泥稳定的RAP−土颗粒混合物的RAP置换率增加而提高,而水泥稳定的RAP−土颗粒混合物的刚度由于沥青黏结剂的高能量吸收而下降。     

Geotechnical Characteristics of Copper Mine Tailings: A Case Study

Waste management issue in mining industry has become increasingly important. In this regard, construction of tailings dams plays a major role. Most of the tailings dams require some kinds of remedial actions during their operational lifetime, among which heightening is the most common. In the first stage of the remedial provisions for Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex tailings dam in Iran, it has been decided to use hydrocyclone method to provide suitable construction material due to the high cost associated with using borrow materials for heightening of the dam. To undertake this project a series of laboratory experiments was performed to determine the copper ‘original tailings’ and ‘cycloned materials’ geotechnical characteristics to evaluate the applicability of the cycloned materials for construction purposes. Different laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the grain-size distribution, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, maximum density, shear strength parameters, consolidation coefficient, and hydraulic conductivity. The results were compared with those of similar mines to check whether they follow the trends observed in other copper tailing materials elsewhere. Variation of the cohesion and internal friction angle versus different compaction ratios were studied in order to determine realistic shear strength parameters for tailing dam stability analysis. In this study, using oedometer test, a mild linear relation between void ratio and the consolidation coefficient has been found for tailings materials. By considering the effects of void ratio and weight of passing sieve #200 materials, a new relationship is proposed that can be used for estimating the copper slimes hydraulic conductivity in seepage analysis of tailings dams.     

基于椭球模型的圆砾堆积特性分析

堆积特性是颗粒形状、大小等因素的综合体现,也在一定程度上反映了颗粒集合体的力学特性。以河流冲积型圆砾土中主要占比的10～50 mm圆砾为对象,利用数字图像技术,通过对大样本圆砾颗粒的形态特征分析,选取轴向系数作为圆砾的形状特征参数,并据此提出了圆砾颗粒的椭球模型构建方法,建立了与实际圆砾料在形状和大小上同分布的圆砾椭球模型数据库,进而通过数值堆积试验分析了单粒组圆砾料的堆积特性,并与室内圆筒堆积物理试验进行对比。有以下结论：圆砾的形态特征主要体现在宏观轮廓形状,棱角特性不明显;圆砾堆积数值模拟结果表明,不同大小粒组圆砾堆积孔隙比变化较小;颗粒间摩擦系数对于堆积孔隙比有显著影响,摩擦系数介于0～0.4时,孔隙比变化剧烈,随后逐渐趋于平缓;室内圆筒堆积试验结果验证了椭球模型模拟圆砾堆积的有效性,标定了重力堆积条件下圆砾料颗粒间摩擦系数约为0.3。     

花岗岩与混凝土胶结面抗剪强度的试验研究

坐落在基岩上的重力式建筑物（重力坝、悬索桥的锚碇等）,依靠基岩与大体积混凝土接触面的摩擦力平衡巨大的水压力或锚索拉力。接触面的摩擦系数有很小的变化,需要混凝土的体积发生大的变化保持摩擦力不变,从而工程造价出现大的差别。针对润扬长江公路大桥南汊悬索桥锚碇接触面抗剪强度取值问题,采用室内控制粗糙度试验的方法,测试了不同风化程度和粗糙度的花岗岩与混凝土接触面的抗剪强度。结合现场编录和现场粗糙度测试结果,获得了混凝土与基岩胶结面摩擦角的分区和面积加权平均值,为锚碇的稳定验算提供了准确的数据。试验结果对其它重力式抗滑结构设计有参考价值。     

无黏性土压缩模型及其验证

土体本构模型的建立往往需要以等向压缩模型为基础。通过对无黏性土等向压缩特性的分析,发现无黏性土等向压缩状态下压缩指数的大小与当前孔隙比和球应力密切相关,进而提出了以当前孔隙比和球应力为变量的可分离函数表示的压缩指数表达式。在此基础上得到一个可以描述无黏性土压缩特性的三参数压缩模型。与试验数据的对比表明,该模型能够较好地拟合不同初始孔隙比下无黏性土等向压缩试验的孔隙比-应力关系。与以极限压缩曲线为参考线建立的压缩模型相比,在拟合低应力区无黏性土的孔隙比-应力关系时,提出的新模型更具有实用性。新模型也可为无黏性土建立本构模型提供基础。     

An efficient approach to generating DEM samples having coincident void ratios with actual sand

The ranges of initial void ratios that can be achieved for numerical samples with the same grading as actual sand under gravity are explored using three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM). A corrected compressible accumulation model is proposed to predict the packing density of sand. Compared with the measured results, the errors of the prediction results are small. For three-dimensional DEM samples, when the ratio of sample size to particle size L/R is equal to or larger than 30, the maximum and the minimum void ratios are minimally affected by the sample size L. The maximum void ratios and the minimum void ratios of numerical samples with spherical particles are much smaller than those of actual sands. The generation method for numerical samples with non-spherical particles is proposed based on the theory of CPM. The variations of void ratios of numerical samples with non-spherical particles are wider than actual sands. So it can meet all the need of DEM simulation on the void ratio of actual sand.     

Landslide susceptibility mapping of the slopes in the residual soils of the Mengen region (Turkey) by deterministic stability analyses and image processing techniques

The aim of the present study is to prepare a landslide susceptibility map of a region of about 120 km², between Gökcesu and Pazarköy (around Mengen, NW Turkey) at approximately 10 km north of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, where frequent landslides occur. For this purpose, mechanisms of the landslides were studied by two-dimensional stability analyses together with field observations, and the parameters controlling the development of such slides were identified. Field observations indicated that the failures generally developed within the unconsolidated and/or semiconsolidated soil units in forms of rotational, successive shallow landslides within the weathered zone in Mengen, Cukurca and Sazlar formations. Although consisting of residual soils, Capak and Gökdag formations do not exhibit landslides as the natural slopes formed on these, do not exceed the critical slope angles. Statistical evaluations and distribution of the landslides on the topographical map showed that such parameters as cohesion, angle of internal friction, slope, relative height, orientation of slopes, proximity to drainage pattern, vegetation cover and proximity to major faults were the common features on the landslides. Digital images were obtained to represent all these parameters on gray scale on the SPOT image and on the digital elevation model (DEM) of the area using image processing techniques. Soil mechanics tests were carried out on 36 representative samples collected from different units, and parameters were determined for two-dimensional stability analyses basing on “sensitivity approach” and for the preparation of digital shear strength map. In order to determine the critical slope angle values for the residual soils, a series of sensitivity analyses were realized by using two-dimensional deterministic slope stability analyses techniques for varying values of cohesion, angle of internal friction and slope height along with varying saturation conditions. According to the results of the sensitivity analyses, the Mengen formation was found to be most susceptible unit to landslides, covering about 33.5% of the region studied in terms of surface area. The distribution of the critical slopes were determined by superimposing the critical slope values from sensitivity analyses on slope map of the study area. On the other hand, iso-cohesion and iso-friction maps were produced by locating the values of cohesion and internal friction angles in a geographic coordinate system such that they coincide with sample locations on the DEM and by further interpolation of the values concerned. The pixel values were evaluated in gray scale from 0 to 255, 0 representing the lowest pixel value and 255 representing the highest. Sensitivity analyses on cohesion and angle of internal friction to investigate the effects of these parameters only on stability, revealed that cohesion was effective at a rate of 70% by itself, while angle of internal friction alone controlled the stability by a rate of 30%. The iso-cohesion and iso-friction maps previously obtained were digitally combined in these rates and a “shear strength map” was prepared. The geographic setting of the study area is such that northern slopes usually receive dense precipitation. In relation to this fact, about 42% of the landslides are due north. Thus, a slope orientation map was prepared using the DEM, and slopes facing north were evaluated as being more susceptible to sliding. Proximity to the drainage pattern was another important factor in the evaluation, as streams could adversely affect the stability by either eroding the toe or saturating the slope, or both. When considered together, in conjunction with the field observations, faults and landslides showed a close association. In the area, about 88% of the landslides were detected within an area closer than 250 m to major faults, therefore, a main discontinuity map was produced using the SPOT image of the region, and “proximity to major faults” was evaluated as a parameter as most of the landslides developed in areas where the vegetation was rather sparse. A vegetation cover map was therefore obtained from the SPOT image, and the areas with denser vegetation were considered to be less susceptible to sliding with respect to the areas with less or no vegetation. Having prepared the maps accounting for the distribution of critical slopes, shear strength properties, relative height, slope angle, orientation of the slopes, vegetation cover, proximity to the drainage pattern, geographic corrections were carried on each of these, and a potential failure map was obtained for the residual soils by superimposing all these maps. Next, a classification was performed on the final map and five relative zones of susceptibility were defined. When compared with this map, all of the landslides identified in the field were found to be located in the most susceptible zone. The performance of the method used in processing the images appears to be quite high, the zones determined on the map being the zones of relative susceptibility.