Stress–strain behaviour of a loosely compacted volcanic-derived soil and its significance to rainfall-induced fill slope failures

The stress–strain behaviour of a soil is crucial to the recognition of the mechanism of slope failure. Triaxial tests, composed of isotropically consolidated drained (ICD) and undrained compression (ICU) tests and anisotropically consolidated constant deviatoric stress path (CQD) tests, were carried out with the aim of investigating the stress–strain behaviour of loosely compacted volcanic-derived soils. The fact that the critical states are the same for ICU, ICD and CQD tests may show that the critical state is independent of the above three stress paths. The critical state line, as defined in critical state soil mechanics, is obtained from the e–log p′ and q–p′ plots based on the results of the above tests. The initial state of the consolidated specimens at initiation of failure may be classified as dilative or contractive in the light of the locations of the soil state relative to the critical state line. For contractional soils, the increased pore water pressure generated by rainfall infiltration leads to a contractive failure in a drained manner, giving rise to high excess pore water pressure. The excess pore water pressure caused by contraction cannot be dissipated instantly, resulting in a decrease in the shear resistance of the soil. The failure process is rapid. The failed soil mass is prone to flow after failure under the action of gravity due to its high moisture content and inflow of surface runoff and rainwater. For dilational soils, the increased pore water pressure resulting from infiltration leads to dilation, which reduces pore water pressure and thus increases the shear resistance of the soil. However, continued rainfall infiltration may be able to equilibrate the reduction in pore water pressure caused by dilation and, therefore, the dilation or displacement can continue. In Hong Kong, volcanic-derived soil is characterized by high permeability. Both the high permeability of volcanic-derived soil and a shallow failure surface make it possible for the reduction in pore pressure to equilibrate relatively quickly. Therefore, the failure is also rapid, at least for poorly compacted fill slopes.     

Analysis of rainstorm-induced slide-debris flows on natural terrain of Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Lantau Island, the largest outlying island of the territory of Hong Kong, experienced a severe rainstorm on 4–5 November 1993, which induced >800 slope failures on natural terrain there. Detailed field investigations were carried out to study the failure modes, in relation with various influencing factors. It was found that the occurrence of slide-debris flows has a close relationship with bedrock geology, slope gradient, vegetation cover and micro landform. The failure modes of slide-debris flows may be classified into translational slides and rotational slides, and the former are predominant. Analysis of the hydrological response of colluvial slopes during the rainstorm indicated that the majority of the failures were caused by the development of a perched water table in the thin surface layer of colluvium of volcanic origin due to infiltration during the heavy rain. Undisturbed soil samples from south Lantau have been subjected to anisotropically consolidated undrained compression tests at comparatively low stress levels. Constant deviatoric stress path tests (CQD) simulating the stress path in the field at in situ stress levels have been performed to investigate soil behavior. The CQD test results indicate that the material of slopes at undisturbed state is brought to dilation because of the increase in pore water pressure caused by infiltration of rain water. For a translational slide, the displacement, resulting from dilation, may destroy cohesion along the failure surface and locally within the interior of the slide. The surplus water during the intense rainstorm was able to equilibrate the reduction in pore pressure caused by dilation, and the dilation and displacement may be further increased. The strain-softening after significant strains triggered debris flow mobilization. However, for a rotational slide, the increase in pore water pressure caused by surplus water infiltration during the intense rainstorm could not equilibrate the reduction in pore pressure caused by dilation, much or even all of the sliding block could not mobilize into a debris flow.     

Stress-strain behaviour of reconstituted illitic clay at different temperatures

Tests on specimens of reconstituted illitic clay have examined the influence of temperature on the mechanical behaviour of clay soils. The program involved consolidation to effective confining pressures up to 1.5 MPa, heating to 100°C, and tests on normally consolidated and overconsolidated specimens with OCR = 2. The tests included isotropic consolidation, undrained triaxial compression with pore water pressure measurement, drained tests along controlled stress paths to investigate yielding behaviour, and undrained tests which involved heating and measurement of the resulting induced pore water pressures. The large strain strength envelope is independent of temperature. However, peak undrained strengths increase with temperature because smaller pore water pressures are generated during shearing. An important contribution from the study is a series of results for the yielding of illitic clay at three different temperatures. For the first time, there is clear evidence of yield loci decreasing in size with increasing temperature. An associated flow rule can be assumed without serious error. The results contribute to the confirmation of a thermal elastic-plastic soil model developed by the authors from cam clay following the addition of a small number of extra assumptions. Depending on the initial stress state, heating under undrained conditions may produce shear failure.     

降雨入渗条件下非饱和土边坡稳定分析

针对降雨入渗土坡的稳定问题,建立一个考虑水力渗透系数特征曲线、土-水特征曲线以及修正的Mohr-Coulomb破坏准则的非饱和土流固耦合有限元计算模型,进行雨水入渗下非饱和土边坡渗流场和应力场耦合的数值模拟,得到非饱和土边坡变形与应力的若干重要规律。研究成果为降雨入渗条件下非饱和土边坡的稳定分析提供了基础。     

不同应力路径下饱和重塑黄土的力学特性

土体的力学特性往往因应力状态和应力路径而异。为了探讨垂直加载和等剪路径下饱和土的力学特性,制备饱和重塑黄土试样,通过固结不排水（CU）和常剪应力排水剪（CSD）三轴试验,分别测定并绘制其应力-应变曲线、孔隙水压力变化曲线和应力路径曲线。试验结果表明,饱和重塑黄土在2种路径下有明显不同的变形特点:CU路径下的应力-应变曲线皆呈弱软化型,孔隙水压力先快速上升后逐渐趋于稳定;CSD路径下维持偏应力为一常量,施加孔隙水压力后的很长时间内试样变形很小,当孔隙水压力增大至试验围压的60%~75%时,试样迅速破坏。CSD路径无偏应力峰值,文中根据轴应变随平均有效应力变化曲线定义了等效峰值破坏线。通过对比发现,2种路径下饱和重塑黄土的有效峰值强度指标差异明显,而有效残余强度指标相近,表明有效残余强度指标是重塑黄土内在属性,受应力路径的影响不大。该研究结果可为实际工程选取正确的应力路径试验提供参考。     

Investigation of rainfall-induced failure processes and characteristics of cataclinal and anaclinal slopes using physical models

In this study, two types of small-scale physical modeling tests have considered the impact of the infiltration of rainfall and groundwater level in order to investigate the processes involved in rock slope deformation and failure. The study conducted the physical tests under controlled conditions of groundwater level with rock block shape for two rock slope types (cataclinal and anaclinal slopes). Observations obtained during each stage of deformation and failure were used to explain how gravity deformation varies with groundwater conditions on cataclinal and anaclinal slopes, and infer how rainfall and groundwater influence slope failure. Our results indicate that groundwater level is a crucial factor in the deformation failure of slopes. The failure mechanisms of cataclinal slopes differ considerably from those of anaclinal slopes. The infiltration of surface water and groundwater can have a significant influence on rock layer deformation and the speed of failure. Different shapes of rock block have two toppling types of rock slope, the spherical rock model relatively close to flexural toppling type and the triangular rock model relatively similar to block flexural toppling type, respectively. Details of the failure characteristics of cataclinal and anaclinal slope models are discussed in this paper.     

真三轴条件下Q3原状黄土的力学特性

为了模拟实际工程中黄土在不排水条件下的破坏,在控制含水率不变条件下,利用非饱和土真三轴仪对不同初始吸力非饱和原状黄土进行了等向固结试验和不同中主应力参数b值的剪切试验,研究了非饱和原状黄土的力学特性。研究结果表明：真三轴等向压缩屈服应力随着初始吸力的增大而增大,吸力随着净平均应力的增大而减小,净平均应力对吸力的影响程度随着初始吸力的增大而增大。不同 值条件下,广义剪应力和净平均应力破坏状态线近似呈平行直线关系,广义剪应力和有效净平均球应力试验点可归一为饱和土的排水剪切破坏状态线;剪切破坏时吸力随着b值的增大基本呈线性增大趋势;孔隙比和净平均应力对数临界状态线近似呈线性平行关系,其斜率比饱和土大,且大于等向压缩屈服前的斜率;非饱和土孔隙比和有效净平均球应力对数临界状态线与饱和土的临界状态线近似呈线性平行关系;不同净围压条件下,不同 值非饱和土与饱和土的破坏状态孔隙比的比值与气体饱和度的试验点分布于1.0～1.2的直线带内,但同一净有效球应力条件下可以归一为一条非线性曲线。     

Lightly cemented sand in tension and compression

Summary Laboratory test results for the stress-strain relationships for lightly cemented sand specimens are presented. The tests were conducted with the specimens under compression and tension without any confining pressure. The cement content was varied from 4% to 8%. Based on the test results, the variations of the stress and strain ratios at failure with cement content are presented for specimens under compression and tension.     

物质组成特征对碎石土斜坡变形破坏影响研究

为研究物质组成空间分布特征对降雨下碎石土斜坡变形破坏的影响,以不同成因碎石土斜坡的特点为依照,进行了4种物质组成空间分布的碎石土斜坡模型及1种均质斜坡模型试验。结果表明,物质组成空间分布特征对降雨下碎石土斜坡变形破坏所发挥的作用与降雨入渗方向和应力调整方向有重要关系。当土料变化方向与入渗方向大角度相交且与应力调整方向相同时,斜坡渗透性为土料各自的渗透性,斜坡力学性质偏向于组成土料力学性质的最大值。当土料变化方向与入渗方向相同且与应力调整方向大角度相交时,斜坡渗透性接近组成土料渗透性的最小值,斜坡变形破坏受控于其中的软弱土料。降雨下斜坡各处均发生变形,且变形向周围调整并产生影响。破裂面更易发于软弱土料中。该研究有助于斜坡灾害勘察、预测评价及防治向精细化方向发展。     

Dynamic liquefaction of shear zones in intact loess during simulated earthquake loading

The 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence in New Zealand exposed loess-mantled slopes in the area to very high levels of seismic excitation (locally measured as >2?g). Few loess slopes showed permanent local downslope deformation, and most of these showed only limited accumulated displacement. A series of innovative dynamic back-pressured shear box tests were undertaken on intact and remoulded loess samples collected from one of the recently active slopes replicating field conditions under different simplified horizontal seismic excitations. During each test, the strength reduction and excess pore water pressures generated were measured as the sample failed. Test results suggest that although dynamic liquefaction could have occurred, a key factor was likely to have been that the loess was largely unsaturated at the times of the large earthquake events. The failure of intact loess samples in the tests was complex and variable due to the highly variable geotechnical characteristics of the material. Some loess samples failed rapidly as a result of dynamic liquefaction as seismic excitation generated an increase in pore water pressure, triggering rapid loss of strength and, thus, of shear resistance. Following initial failure, pore pressure dissipated with continued seismic excitation and the sample consolidated, resulting in partial shear strength recovery. Once excess pore water pressures had dissipated, deformation continued in a critical effective stress state with no further change in volume. Remoulded and weaker samples, however, did not liquefy and instead immediately reduced in volume with an accompanying slower and more sustained increase in pore pressure as the sample consolidated. Thereafter, excess pressures dissipated and deformation continued at a critical state. The complex behaviour explained why, despite exceptionally strong ground shaking, there was only limited displacement and lack of run-out: dynamic liquefaction was unlikely to occur in the freely draining slopes. Dynamic liquefaction, however, remained a plausible mechanism to explain loess failure in some of the low-angle toe slopes, where a permanent water table was present in the loess.     

降雨条件下黄土边坡现场试验研究

黄土边坡的变形破坏多发生于降雨期间,由此也造成了大量的损失。为减小降雨诱发黄土滑坡的影响,开展降雨型滑坡现场实验研究,具有现实意义。本文选取泾阳一天然黄土边坡为研究对象,利用自行设计的模拟降雨系统,设计并进行了3组不同雨强下的大型黄土边坡人工模拟降雨试验,旨在研究不同雨强条件下天然黄土边坡的入渗规律及变形破坏模式。通过对边坡内埋设的土壤水分传感仪、土压力盒和张力计管的读数变化及试验现象进行分析,进而得出降雨条件下大型黄土边坡现场试验的变形破坏规律,总结出该类边坡的水分入渗规律和变形破坏模式。试验结果表明,边坡入渗呈现一定的规律:降雨条件下,坡肩入渗深度和速率最大,坡脚次之,坡面最小;同时,降雨强度越大,雨水入渗速率越快,入渗时间越长,边坡相同位置处体积含水率和土压力增大幅度越大,基质吸力减小的幅度越大。降雨条件下天然黄土边坡的变形破坏模式为:坡肩侵蚀及侵蚀扩展→坡面裂隙形成扩展→坡肩裂隙形成扩展→局部滑塌;若继续降雨,则坡肩局部裂隙逐渐贯通进而形成滑面,最终导致滑坡发生。     

Mechanical Behaviour of Cyclically Heated Fine Grained Rock

Summary The most vital difference between rock and rock mass are fractures and fissures. They affect the behaviour and strength of rock masses. According to their origin, size, and shape, rock mass contains several types of weakness planes varying from microfissure to faults. Other parameters such as underground water, temperature, time and stress state affect the rock's behaviour in its natural environment. The frequency of discontinuities in fractured rock is one of the basic parameters for reducing its strength. However it is generally difficult to test undisturbed fractured rock in a laboratory environment. In this study it was tried to open and loosen the grain boundaries of fine-grained rock specimens by cyclical heating and cooling. This should serve as a physical simulation of fractures in the rock mass and enables a discussion of the changes in mechanical behaviour of fractured rock. For this reason, laboratory test specimens of Carrara marble and Buchberger sandstone were used. The heating cycles were varied from 0 to 16. From the results of uniaxial compression, Brazilian and “Continuous Failure State” triaxial tests, it was pointed out that all of the mechanical parameters decreased gradually with an increasing number of heating cycles. Uniaxial compressive strength was reduced to about 50%, while the tensile strength decreased to about 60% for both types of rock. It was also observed that the variations of strength parameters were higher after the first heating cycles. As a result of cyclical heating, the slopes of pre-failure and post-failure curves in the stress-strain plane changed similarly, but the variations of modulus of elasticity were higher than the slopes of the post-failure curves for sandstone. The ratio between compressive and indirect tensile strength rose to a value of 98 after the last heating cycle. For unheated specimens of Carrara marble this ratio is 20. The axial strain at the failure point increased suddenly after the first heating cycle and the failure developed entirely intergranular in cyclically heated specimens.     

超固结黏土单调和耦合循环的剪切特性研究

针对超固结黏土空心试样,利用土工静力-动力液压三轴-扭转多功能剪切仪,在均等固结条件下进行了单调扭剪和三轴-扭转耦合循环剪切试验。试验结果表明：不同超固结比黏土的单调扭剪强度也可由正常固结黏土的单调扭剪强度得到,得到了不同超固结比下饱和黏土的强度及模量的退化规律;随着超固结比的增大,相同破坏循环次数的动应力比和临界循环应力比均线性增大;超固结比对耦合循环剪切的孔隙水压力的发展模式影响显著。参考Yasuhara的测量方法,采用荷载停止后继续采集孔压的方法可以更好地反映黏土在耦合循环荷载下产生的真实孔压和孔压的增长情况。提出的综合应变式同时考虑了剪切变化和正向偏差变形的共同效应,适合作为主应力连续旋转的耦合循环剪切试验的破坏标准。     

降雨对均质各向异性土质边坡稳定性的影响

采用有限元法分析了非饱和均质各向异性土坡中的降雨渗透过程和土水相互作用的变化过程,使用修改的Mohr-Coulomb破坏准则考虑非饱和土的抗剪强度,根据基质吸力变化引起抗破坏强度变化的原理,寻找最危险的滑移面位置,计算最小稳定安全系数,研究了土坡遭受降雨渗透时的安全稳定问题。实例分析结果表明,该法在评判降雨时非饱和土坡的稳定性方面是合理可行的。同时分析数据表明裂隙的存在对土质边坡稳定性的影响是显著的,在对雨水入渗的土边坡稳定性分析时,必须考虑裂隙的影响。     

Identification of deformation and failure characteristics in cataclinal slopes using physical modeling

This study investigates the deformation characteristics of cataclinal slopes in central Taiwan prior to landslide failure. Field surveys and physical model tests were performed to explain the gravitational deformation characteristics of cataclinal slopes under various conditions and to derive the deformation process and failure characteristics. The results show that the distribution of erosion gullies (different length of the slope mass), the extent of erosion (different thickness of the slope mass), the foliation dip angle, and the geological material critically affect the deformation of cataclinal slope masses in the study area. The results of physical model tests indicate that increasing the foliation dip angle, the thickness and the length of sliding mass, particle size (spacing between foliations) increases the depth of slope deformation. Foliation dip angle is the most critical factor that controls the deformation of slate slopes. When the cataclinal slopes reached maximum deformation, a shear failure and translational slide occurred within a short period. The deformation zone exhibited significant cracking at the scarp and the bulging of the slope toe, which facilitated the infiltration of surface water and groundwater, accelerating the deformation to failure.     

入渗诱发黄土滑坡的力学机制

在农田水利建设蓬勃发展的同时,灌溉入渗在黄土塬边诱发了严重的滑坡灾害。作为黄土滑坡的典型区域,甘肃黑方台地区近年来受到了密切关注。为了研究入渗条件下黄土边坡的变形破坏机制,在黑方台典型滑坡后壁削取原状土样,开展了3组不同应力路径的三轴试验以模拟边坡的失稳过程。通过开展偏压固结不排水（ACU）试验和饱和恒载（SDL）增孔压试验研究了饱和黄土启动和变形破坏过程;通过开展非饱和恒载（UDL）增湿试验,研究了非饱和黄土启动和变形破坏过程。在此基础上,从应力路径和黄土的微观结构角度阐述了入渗诱发黄土滑坡的力学机制。此外,利用试验结果分析了黄土的典型物理力学特性,结果表明：在埋深应力范围内,该黄土的饱和临界状态线可简化为单一的直线;该黄土的状态边界线可近似为其临界状态线;由UDL试验预测的土-水特征曲线受应力状态影响,较高的应力水平对应较低含水率。     

Influence of Sample Height-to-Width Ratios on Failure Mode for Rectangular Prism Samples of Hard Rock Loaded In Uniaxial Compression

Surface-parallel slabbing is a failure mode often observed in highly stressed hard rocks in underground excavations. This paper presents the results of experimental studies on slabbing failure of hard rock with different sample height-to-width ratios. The main purpose of this study was to find out the condition to create slabbing failure under uniaxial compression and to determine the slabbing strength of hard rock in the laboratory. Uniaxial compression tests were carried out using five groups of granite specimens. The mechanical parameters of the sample rock, Iddefjord granite from Norway, were measured on the cylindrical and Brazilian disc specimens. The transition of the failure mode was studied using rectangular prism specimens. The initiation and the propagation of slabbing fractures in specimens were identified by examining the relationship among the applied stress, strain and the acoustic emission. The stress thresholds identified were compared to those reported by other authors for crack initiation and brittle failure. It is observed that the macro failure mode will be transformed from shear to slabbing when the height/width ratio is reduced to 0.5 in the prism specimens under uniaxial compression. Micro σ ₁-parallel fractures initiate when the lateral strain departs from its linearity. Slabbing fractures are approximately parallel to the loading direction. Labotatory tests show that the slabbing strength (σ _sl) of hard rock is about 60% of its uniaxial compression strength. It means that if the maximum tangential stress surrounding an underground excavation reaches about the slabbing threshold, slabbing fractures may take place on the boundary of the excavation. Therefore, the best way to stop or eliminate slabbing failure is to control the excavation boundary to avoid the big stress concentration, so that the maximum tangential stress could be under the slabbing threshold.     

非饱和粉质黏土坡面降雨非正交入渗试验研究

传统降雨入渗分析是以降雨强度在坡面上的正交分量作为边界条件,不符合实际降雨的非正交入渗规律。为了研究非饱和粉质黏土的非正交入渗规律性,首先通过对正交入渗理论的综述,揭示并分析目前降雨入渗理论在坡面流模型和边界条件方面的缺陷。采用自行研制的室内降雨试验装置对非饱和粉质黏土进行不同降雨强度、坡角和孔隙比的降雨入渗试验,结果表明,非饱和粉质黏土坡面降雨入渗是并非简单正交分解入渗而是非正交入渗;对于坡角和孔隙比为定值的土坡,具有最大坡面入渗的最优雨强;土的孔隙比越小,降雨初期入渗率随时间变化越快,入渗率趋于稳定状态越快;入渗率和累积入渗量并不是随坡角的增大呈单调变化,而存在对应入渗水量最少的最优坡角。     

水下岩质边坡稳定性的模型试验研究

随着三峡水利建设工程的进行,许多原本位于水面以上且已趋于稳定的人工或自然岩质边坡将被淹没,导致边坡稳定性降低,而水的压力、冲击、渗流和侵蚀等综合作用,给下岩质边坡的稳定性带来大量的不确定性。基于已有的水下土质边坡稳定性试验和水下岩质边坡有限元分析,进行水下岩质边坡模型试验研究,探讨在水位升降水过程中和波浪作用下水下岩质边坡的稳定性和破坏机制。将结构面为30°和50°的两种岩质边坡模型布置在人工水槽中,采用波流系统进行水位升降水波浪冲击试验,量测岩质边坡的应力变化。通过分析边坡各测点应力变化,得出了一些有意义的结论：（1）把边坡前部岩体划分成3个区域,每个区域内应力变化规律相同;（2）水下岩质边坡坡脚处应力集中最大,破坏始于坡脚,并由此产生的塑性区沿结构面逐渐同坡顶发展,这与一般边坡从坡顶逐渐向下发展的开裂破坏形式完全不同;（3）波浪对水下岩质边坡结构面的影响,将随其倾角的变小而减弱。     

A Laboratory Shear Cell Used for Simulation of Shear Strength and Asperity Degradation of Rough Rock Fractures

Different failure modes during fracture shearing have been introduced including dilation, sliding, asperity cut-off and degradation. Several laboratory studies have reported the complexity of these failure modes during shear tests performed under either constant normal load (CNL) or constant normal stiffness (CNS) conditions. This paper is concerned with the mechanical behaviour of synthetic fractures during direct shear tests using a modified shear cell and related numerical simulation studies. The modifications made to an existing true triaxial stress cell (TTSC) in order to use it for performing shear tests under CNL conditions are presented. The large loading capacity and the use of accurate hydraulic pumps capable of applying a constant shear velocity are the main elements of this cell. Synthetic mortar specimens with different fracture surface geometries are tested to study the failure modes, including fracture sliding, asperity degradation, and to understand failure during shearing. A bonded particle model of the direct shear test with the PFC2D particle flow code is used to mimic the tests performed. The results of a number of tests are presented and compared with PFC2D simulations. The satisfactory results obtained both qualitatively and quantitatively are discussed.