Wave-Based Techniques for Evaluating Elastic Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio of Laboratory Compacted Lateritic Soils

A rapid, low-cost evaluation methodology using the wave-based techniques is proposed in this study in order to determine the design parameters e.g., elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the laboratory compacted lateritic soils. Knowing the elastic wave velocities as measured with the wave propagation technique (i.e., a small-strain non-destructive test) and total mass density of the specimens, the elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratio of the soil specimens can be determined. In addition, the unconfined compression test (i.e., a large-strain destructive test) is also performed on the same specimens under the same unconfined testing condition in order to compare the moduli corresponding to different strain levels. The experimental results showed the potentials and limitations of using impulse signal for the determination of the elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratio for laboratory compacted soil specimens from elastic wave propagation techniques.     

Modelling the elastic behaviour of granular materials

A review of the literature indicates that the elastic behaviour of granular materials is isotropic and that Poissony's ratio is constant, whereas Young's Modulus, the bulk modulus and the shear modulus vary with the mean normal stress and the deviatoric stress. A nonlinear, isotropic model for the elastic behaviour is developed on the basis of theoretical considerations involving the principle of conservation of energy. Energy is therefore neither generated not dissipated in closed-loop stress paths or in closed-loop strain paths. The framework for the model consists of Hooke's law, in which Poission's ratio is constant and Young's modulus is expressed as a power function invlving the first invariat of the stress tensor and the second invariant of the deviatoric stress tensor. The characteristics of the model are described, and the accuracy is evaluated by comparison with experimental results from triaxial tests and three-dimensional cubical triaxial tests with a variety of stress paths. Parameter determination from unloading–reloading cycles in conventional triaxial compression tests is demonstrated, typical parameter values are given for granular materials and extension of the model to soils with effective cohesion is described.     

Coupling pore-water pressure with distinct element method and steady state strengths in numerical triaxial compression tests under undrained conditions

The undrained shear behaviour of sands has been a key topic after the devastating geo-disasters during the 1964 Niigata Earthquake in Japan. Extensive geo-technical soil tests, especially undrained triaxial compression tests, have revealed that the liquefaction phenomenon was the major cause for the disaster expansions. To numerically reproduce the liquefaction phenomenon, the pore-water pressure was coupled with a distinct element method. In this model, the dynamic changes in pore-water pressure were taken into consideration by the changes in volumetric strain and modulus of compressibility of water in the respective measurement spheres. Fluid-flows among the measurement spheres were controlled by Darcy’s law. The effective stress paths and steady state strengths in undrained triaxial compression tests associated with the wide ranges of initial void ratio were investigated. The effective mean stresses of medium-dense to dense numerical specimens at the steady state were negatively proportional to the initial void ratio. Loose numerical specimens reproduced quasi-liquefaction with the effective mean stresses that were less than 25% of the initial value. The medium-dense numerical specimens reproduced the phase transformation that was a typical characteristic of granular materials. The rolling restraints did not much influence of the effective angle of internal friction but strongly affected pore-water pressure behaviour within a certain range of initial void ratio.     

不排水循环荷载作用过程中累积孔压对细砂弹性剪切模量Gmax的影响

在土工结构物地震有效应力分析中,往往采用Hardin经验公式计算动荷作用过程中由于孔压变化对砂土初始弹性剪切模量Gmax的影响,但由于以往试验手段的限制,这种方法的有效性至今没有得到验证。为此,采用多功能三轴仪和压电陶瓷弯曲元剪切波速测试系统,研究了不排水循环荷载过程中孔压对细砂Gmax的影响。试验结果表明,细砂Gmax可由 Hardin型经验公式计算,但材料参数应通过试验确定;不排水循环荷载作用过程中,细砂Gmax随孔压上升而降低,其值可由其实际平均有效应力和固结后的孔隙比通过由试验得到的Hardin型经验公式计算。     

非饱和土的新非线性模型及其应用

为描述非饱和土的应力-应变特性,基于非饱和土三轴剪切试验,提出泊松比变化率（即切线泊松比随轴向应变的变化速率）的概念,发现非饱和土的切线模量和泊松比变化率均随轴向应变的增加呈指数衰减规律,基于此提出了一种描述非饱和土应力-应变关系的新非线性模型。该模型不仅能描述应变硬化,而且能描述应变软化;能对非饱和土三轴不固结不排水剪、固结排水剪、固结不排水剪试验的应力-应变关系进行描述;模型共包含6个参数,物理意义明确,确定方法简便。利用提出的模型对国内外文献中的三轴试验进行了模拟,结果表明,模拟结果与试验数据有很好的吻合度,从而验证了模型对试验数据的合理性和适用性。     

Non‐coaxial elasto‐plasticity model and bifurcation prediction of shear banding in sands

Numerous constitutive models built on coaxial theory and validated under axi‐symmetric condition often describe the stress–stain relationships and predict the inceptions of shear banding in sands inaccurately under true triaxial condition. By adopting an elaborated Mohr–Coulomb yield function and using non‐coaxial non‐associated flow rule, a 3D non‐coaxial elasto‐plasticity model is proposed and validated by a series of true triaxial tests on loose sands. The bifurcation analysis of true triaxial tests on dense sands predicts the influence of the intermediate principal stress ratio on the onset of shear band accurately. The failure of soils is shown to be related to the formation of shear band under most intermediate principal stress ratio conditions except for those which are close to the axi‐symmetric compression condition. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

攀枝花尖山矿区细中粒辉长岩力学特性试验研究

对攀枝花钒钛磁铁矿尖山矿区的细粒和中粒辉长岩进行了单轴压缩、常规三轴压缩、抗拉强度和软化等系列岩石力学试验,研究了岩石结构(矿物颗粒大小)、水和围压等因素对岩石强度和变形特性的影响。结果表明,细粒辉长岩单轴抗压强度、弹性模量和压拉比均高于中粒辉长岩,但在三轴压缩情况下,两种岩石的峰值强度、残余强度和弹性模量差异较小;与中粒辉长岩相比,细粒辉长岩的峰值强度的黏聚力C较大,而峰值强度的内摩擦角φ较小;随着围压的增长,辉长岩峰值强度、残余强度与围压近似呈线性关系,剪切破坏角减小,平均模量E增长不明显,割线模量E50增长较显著;辉长岩的软化系数较高,在水的作用下弹性模量降低,泊松比升高。     

Evaluation of a constitutive model for clays and sands: Part I – sand behaviour

This paper evaluates the performance of a generalized effective stress soil model for predicting the rate independent behaviour of freshly deposited sands, while a companion paper describes model capabilities for clays and silts. Most material parameters can be obtained from standard laboratory data, including hydrostatic or one‐dimensional compression, drained and undrained triaxial shear testing. A compilation of data on compression behaviour allows for estimation of compression parameters when this type of data is not available. Extensive comparisons of model predictions with measured data from undrained triaxial shear tests shows that the model gives excellent predictions of the transition from dilative to contractive shear response as the confining pressure and/or the initial formation void ratio increases. A parametric study of drained response shows that the model describes realistically the variation of peak friction angle and dilation rate as a function of confining pressure and density when compared with an empirical correlation valid for many sands. The proposed formulation predicts a unique critical state locus for both drained and undrained triaxial testing which is non‐linear over the entire range of stresses and is in excellent agreement with recent experimental data. Overall, the model provides excellent predictions of the stress–strain–strength relationships over a wide range of confining pressures and formation densities. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Directional properties of small strain shear stiffness in soils

A compiled database of shear wave velocity measurements in a variety of clays, silts and sands shows directional hierarchies between downhole (V_sVH), standard crosshole (V_sHV), and rotary crosshole (V_sHH) tests. The special in situ database has been collected from 33 well-documented geotechnical test sites. Expressions relating the small-strain shear modulus in terms of effective confining stress level, stress history and void ratio are explored for each of these three modes of directional shear wave velocity. The relationships are separated initially into soil groups (intact clays, fissured clays, sands and silts), and then generalised to consider all soil types together.     

Small-Strain Shear Modulus of Cement-Admixed Kaolinite

An experimental study is conducted to measure small-strain shear modulus of clay-cement mixture using bender element apparatus setup in a triaxial cell. Bender element tests were conducted on cement-treated soils and the results were analyzed to study the variation of shear modulus properties of soil specimens at different cement contents, confining pressures, curing times, and compaction moisture contents. Based on the obtained results increasing the cement ratio has a significant effect on the small-strain shear modulus of the treated soils, and this effect signifies with increasing the moisture content and curing time. Rates of shear modulus enhancements due to cement content, curing time, and compaction moisture content are quantified and presented. In this study, a clay–cement–water ratio formulation is proposed that enables one to calculate cement and water contents required to obtain specific small-strain shear modulus.     

Laboratory determination of mechanical and hydraulic properties of chemically grouted sands

The purpose of this paper is to investigate mechanical and hydraulic properties of sands treated with mineral-based grouts through the results of a laboratory test programme consisting of unconfined compression tests (UCS), triaxial bender element tests (BeT) and constant flow permeability tests in triaxial apparatus. An improved apparatus was set up for obtaining high quality, multiple grouted specimens from a single column. Two selected natural sands having different grain sizes were grouted with two mineral-based silica grouts, resulting in different levels of improvement. The behaviour of the sands treated by mineral grouts, in terms of strength, initial stiffness and permeability, was compared with that exhibited by more traditional silicate grouts. The results of this study indicate that sands treated with mineral grouts result in higher strengths, higher initial shear modulus and lower permeability values than the sands treated with the silicate solution. The effect of grout type, effective confining pressure, and sand particle-size on small-strain shear modulus of grouted sand specimens was evaluated. Based on test results, the small strain shear modulus increment from treated to untreated specimens has been correlated with the unconfined compressive strength, obtaining a unique relationship regardless of grout type and grain-size of tested sands.     

往返荷载下粘性土的强度及取值标准试验研究

通过对粘性土进行一系列动三轴试验，测定并分析了动荷载作用下为粘性土的动剪应力，轴向应变及超孔隙水压力随时间的变化规律，分析了破坏时不同固结比的粘性土对静，动剪强度和孔隙水压力影响规律，得出了粘性土的动剪强度随固结比变化的关系式，并对粘性土的动剪强度判别方法的标准进行探讨，得出了有益的结果。     

Strength of two structured soils in triaxial compression

Oil sands are dense granular materials with interlocked structure and clay shales are heavily overconsolidated clays. They are classified as structured soil or weak rock, exhibiting high peak strength with severe softening and dilation, particularly at low confining stress. The triaxial compression test results indicate that both materials yield linear Mohr–Coulomb envelopes with an apparent cohesion for peak and residual strengths. However, the strength components mobilized from these two materials are very different. This paper investigates if these strength parameters are intrinsic properties or responses derived in triaxial compression conditions. Computer tomography scanning technique is used to aid in examining the micro‐structural features of the sheared specimens such as shear banding pattern, shear band thickness, spatial porosity distributions inside and outside shear bands. These micro‐structural features are used to explain the macro‐deformation response observed in the triaxial compression tests. Mobilization of strength components derived from interlocked structure, cementation, dilation, rolling and critical state are analysed for pre‐, post‐peak softening and residual stages. It is found that the empirical correlation such as Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion based on triaxial compression test results does not necessarily reflect the intrinsic properties of the test materials. Testing conditions are embedded in the empirical correlation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

平面应变条件下粗粒土的变形特性试验研究

使用河海大学TSW－40型真三轴仪,对粗粒土分别进行平面应变和常规三轴压缩试验,研究了粗粒土在平面应变条件下的应力-应变关系及各种应变之间的关系,包括：主应力差? 1-? 3(? 2-? 3)与大主应变?1、主应力比? 1 /? 3(? 2 /? 3)与大主应变?1、球应力p与体积应变?v、偏应力q与偏应变? s、广义应力比q/p与广义剪应变? s、小主应变? 3与大主应变?1、体积应变? v与广义剪应变? s之间的关系。试验结果表明,对于相同的? 3,平面应变试验的(? 1-? 3)(或? 1 /? 3)-ε1曲线位于常规三轴压缩试验相应曲线的上方;? 3大的(? 1-? 3)(或? 2-? 3)-? 1曲线在上方,而? 3大的? 1 /? 3(或? 2 /? 3)-? 1曲线在下方;对于相同的? 3,在相同的? 1下,平面应变条件下的小主应力方向膨胀量要比常规三轴压缩条件下的大;产生相同的? s时,? 3越大,? v越大,对于相同的? 3,平面应变条件下的? v要比常规三轴压缩条件下的大;粗粒土在平面应变和常规三轴压缩条件下加荷时,具有归一化的双曲线应力-应变关系。研究表明,采用非线性弹性模型计算粗粒土的平面应变问题时,有必要考虑弹性模量E和泊松比? 的各向异性。     

陇西黄土三轴剪切过程微观变化研究

为了解黄土三轴剪切过程中的微观变化,采用PFC3D建立黄土三轴试验模型,模拟围压分别为0、50、150、300 kPa的三轴剪切试验,并与室内试验进行对比分析。分析结果表明：PFC3D能够较好地模拟出不同围压下从开始到破坏到残余变形整个过程中应力-应变的变化规律,且位移场及接触应力场的变化规律与室内三轴试验宏观现象较一致;发现弹性模量、泊松比及峰值强度与数值模型中微观参数有着密切的联系,如法向刚度kn控制试样宏观弹性模量,kn /ks值控制泊松比,摩擦系数控制峰值强度;通过体应变-轴向应变曲线发现,随着围压的增加应变能增大,试样呈现出由体积膨胀到体积减缩的变化规律。其研究结果为进一步探究黄土的应力-应变性状及抗剪强度特性提供参考。     

Effect of Temperature on the Strength Parameters at the Plastic Domain for Unconsolidated Sandstones

Heavy and extra heavy oil reservoirs are subjected to high temperatures during thermal recovery processes like SAGD and CSS. In-situ temperature state changes throughout these operations may generate variations in the mechanical properties or strength parameters of the rock such as Young and Bulk’s modulus, internal friction angle, cohesion and dilation angle. This paper presents results about the variation of the elastic modulus and mechanical properties, in both elastic and plastic region due to changes in temperature and effective confining stress for reconstituted samples of Colombian unconsolidated sands. In order to study these changes, several drained triaxial tests are performed in a range of temperature between 50 and 230 °C and a range of effective confining stress between 0.4 and 8.2 MPa, these tests are carried out on reconstituted samples of oil sands recovered in an outcrop in the Magdalena middle valley of Colombia. The experimental results are analyzed with an analytical model based on the constitutive model of Mohr–Coulomb. The analysis is divided in two ways: First, the elastic region is analyzed calculating the variation of the elastic modulus (Young and bulk’s modulus) and the mechanical parameters (cohesion and internal friction angle) with temperature and effective confining stress, these calculus are done in the linear zone of the stress–strain curve. Then, the plastic region is analyzed using Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model with a non-associative flow rule in order to represent in a better way the dilatant/contractive behavior of the material, from this analysis is possible to obtain the behavior of the mechanical properties during plastic strains. The stress–strain curves obtained from the triaxial compression tests show that for the highest and medium effective confining stress (8.2 and 4.0 MPa), there is a hardening strain behavior after the yielding point that implies a loose sand behavior under confining conditions. Meanwhile, for lowest effective confining stress (0.4 MPa) the samples show a softening strain, a typical behavior for dense sands under confining conditions.     

Measurement of small strain behavior of a local soil by fiber Bragg grating-based local displacement transducers

The small strain stiffness of soils has a significant role in geotechnical design and analysis. In laboratory, the small strain behavior is examined by different techniques including the bender element method for measuring the maximum shear modulus and local displacement transducer (LDT) for measuring Young’s modulus at small strains. However, most commonly used LDTs are based on electrical components and have limitations, such as electromagnetic interference and possibility of short circuit in the presence of water. To overcome these limitations, in the present study, a conventional triaxial apparatus has been modified to measure and study the stress–strain behavior of soils at small strains. The major modifications include addition of piezoceramic sensors (bender elements) for measuring the maximum shear modulus and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor-based local displacement transducers (FBG–LDTs) for measuring the stress–strain behavior at small strains. The modified triaxial apparatus has been used to conduct several tests on a completely decomposed granite soil from a site in Hong Kong. The stress–strain behaviors measured by the newly developed FBG–LDTs and an external displacement transducer are compared and discussed. In particular, the shear modulus values obtained using the bender elements, FBG–LTDs, and the external displacement transducer are also compared, discussed, and evaluated. The comparison and assessment show that the FBG–LTDs are more suitable for measuring the small strain behavior of soils.     

上海软土动剪切模量衰减规律的试验研究

为了获得上海软土在循环动力荷载作用下的动力特性,特别是动剪切模量的衰减规律,采用原状第④层上海软土进行等向固结不排水动三轴试验,分析了加载频率和动应力比 对动剪切模量的影响。试验结果表明,对于上海第④层软土,动应力比达到0.2时,土样才发生破坏;土样的剪切模量-累积轴应变曲线不受加载频率和动应力比的影响;剪切模量的衰减下降主要发生在轴应变0～1%区间。最后提出了一个描述剪切模量衰减规律的数学模型。     

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.

     

Seismic piezocone interpretation for shear wave velocity (<Emphasis Type="Italic">V</Emphasis><Subscript>S</Subscript>) determination in the Persian Gulf

Shear wave velocity is one of the important factors representing the dynamic characteristics of soil layers. Hence, many researchers have focused their studies on determining shear wave velocity by direct field measurements or expressions developed by other soil parameters. The shear module and damping ratio of the soil layers also play a similar role in the majority of dynamic soil response analyses. Nevertheless, since they have to be measured in the laboratory by resonant column or cyclic triaxial tests on undisturbed samples, the possibility of preparing such samples and the reliability of the obtained results are of great concerns. In the present study, great effort has been made to determine the above dynamic factors by means of field data obtained from a versatile instrument, namely the seismic piezocone (SPCT_U), and to derive expressions correlating them with some parameters obtainable by much simpler instruments. The reliability of laboratory measurements on undisturbed samples is also evaluated. The seismic piezocone test apparatus has been employed to evaluate the soil properties at 1-m depth intervals by means of measuring tip resistance, sleeve resistance, pore pressure and shear wave velocity. The shear module and the damping ratio are calculated using field data. Meanwhile, in order to assess the laboratory measurements of these parameters, some resonant column tests and cyclic triaxial tests on undisturbed samples of the same soil layers have been carried out. In order to compare the field results of shear modulus and damping ratios with those obtained from laboratory tests, the influences of the soil nature and sample disturbance on the conventional laboratory methods are evaluated and discussed. The shear wave velocity is correlated to overburden pressure and the corrected tip resistance for two groups of fine soils, namely silty clays and carbonate clayey silts, which mainly cover the areas under study in this project, are located in southern parts of Iran near the Persian Gulf. According to the results of the present study, there are narrow limits of shear modulus regarding soils for which the laboratory tests and the field measurements yield approximately the same shear modulus. This limit of shear modulus is about 30–50(MPa) for clay deposits and 70–100 (MPa) for sandy deposits. Also the shear wave velocity can be calculated by a simple expression from total overburden pressure and the tip resistance of simple cone penetration test results conventionally available in many soil explorations prior to engineering practices. However, if the pore pressure inside the saturated soil deposits can be measured by a piezocone apparatus, the shear wave velocity may be calculated using another suggested equation in terms of effective overburden pressure in the present study. Regarding the shear module and the damping ratio, due to the disturbances of the stiff deposits in the sampling process and great deviations of laboratory results from field results, the laboratory measurements of these parameters out of the above limits are not recommended.