Utilization of soil nailing technique to increase shear strength of cohesive soil and reduce settlement

This article deals with the assessment of the soil nailing technique with a vertical inclusion to improve the geotechnical parameters of cohesive soil. A series of unconfined compression tests and direct shear tests were carried out to establish the stressestrain relationship and strength characteristics of the reinforced clay sample by vertical steel nails. The shear strength performance of the new composite material was tested by varying the number of vertical inclusions, the embedment depth and the alignment radius. The results confirmed that the vertical bars/inclusions shared the vertical applied load with clay. Increase in the number of vertical inclusions significantly increases the shear strength and the stiffness with a remarkable reduction in settlement. When the clay samples were reinforced with six inclusions along the perimeter, the shear strength was increased to 231% for the embedment depth ratio equal to 0.85. To obtain the optimum effect in eliminating shear failure, the vertical inclusions should be extended to a deeper zone with sufficient numbers. It has been found that the vertical inclusions significantly influence the shear strength, and the brittle or general shear failure of the unreinforced sample can be diverted to partial/plastic shear failure.

Mechanisms involved in triggering debris flows,within a cohesive gravel soil mass on a slope:a case in SW China

The triggering mechanisms of debris flows were explored in the field using artificial rainfall experiments in two gullies, Dawazi Gully and Aizi Gully, in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, China,respectively. The soils at both sites are bare, loose and cohesive gravel-dominated. The results of a direct shear test, rheological test and back-analysis using soil mass stability calculations indicate that the mechanisms responsible for triggering debris flows involved the decreases in static and dynamic resistance of the soil. The triggering processes can be divided into 7 stages: rainfall infiltration, generation of excess runoff, high pore water pressure, surface erosion, soil creep, soil slipping, debris flow triggering and debris flow increment. In addition, two critical steps are evident:(i) During the process of the soil mass changing from a static to a mobile state, its cohesion decreased sharply(e.g., the cohesion of the soil mass in Dawazi Gully decreased from 0.520 to0.090 k Pa, a decrease of 83%). This would have reduced the soil strength and the kinetic energy during slipping, eventually triggered the debris flow.(ii) When the soil mass began to slip, the velocity and the volume increment of the debris flow fluctuated as a result of the interaction of soil resistance and the sliding force. The displaced soil mass from the source area of the slope resulted in the deposition of a volume of soil more than 7-8 times greater than that in the source area.

Wave-induced pore water pressure in marine cohesive soils

Cyclic triaxial tests and numerical analyses were undertaken, in order to evaluate the wave-induced pore water pressure in seabedsediments in the Hangzhou Bay. The cyclic triaxial tests indicate that the rate of pore water pressure generation in cohesive soilsdecreases with time, and the development of the pore water pressure can be represented by a hyperbolic curve. Numerical analyses,taking into account the generation and dissipation of pore water pressure simultaneously, suggest that the pore water pressure buildupin cohesive soils may increase with time continuously until the pore water pressure ratio approaches to 1, or it may decrease after acertain time, which is controlled by drain conditions. These phenomena are different from those in sands. For waves with a returnperiod of 100 a in the Hangzhou Bay, if the wave duration is more than 60 h, then the pore water pressure ratio will be close to 1 andsoil fabric failure will take place.

A new design equation for drained stability of conical slopes in cohesive-frictional soils

New plasticity solutions to the drained stability of conical slopes in homogeneous cohesive-frictional soils were investigated by axisymmetric finite element limit analysis. Three parameters were studied,i.e. excavated height ratios, slope inclination angles, and soil friction angles. The influences of these parameters on the stability factor and predicted failure mechanism of conical slopes were discussed. A new design equation developed from a nonlinear regression of the lower bound solution was proposed for drained stability analyses of a conical slope in practice. Numerical examples were given to demonstrate a practical application of the proposed equation to stability evaluations of conical slopes with both associated and non-associated flow rules.

Conversion relationship of rainfall-soil moisture-groundwater in Quaternary thick cohesive soil in Jianghan Plain,Hubei Province,China

The scientific field test site of rainfall-soil moisture-groundwater conversion in Dabie Mountain Area–Jianghan Plain is located in the northern region of the Jianghan Plain,the transition zone between the Dabie Mountain Area and Jianghan Plain.It’s a great field test site to study the material and energy exchange among rainfall,soil moisture,and groundwater of the Earth’s critical zone in subtropical monsoon climate plain areas.This paper analyzed the connection between rainfall and volume water content(VWC)of soil at different depths of several soil profiles,and the dynamic feature of groundwater was discussed,which reveals the rainfall infiltration recharge of Quaternary Upper Pleistocene strata.The results show that the Quaternary Upper Pleistocene aquifer groundwater accepts a little direct rainfall recharge,while the lateral recharge is the main supplement source.There were 75 effective rainfall events among 120 rainfall events during the monitoring period,with an accumulated amount of 672.9 mm,and the percentages of effective rainfall amount and duration time were 62.50%and 91.56%,respectively.The max evaporation depth at the upper part in Quaternary cohesive soil was no less than 1.4 m.The soil profile was divided into four zones:(1)The sensitive zone of rainfall infiltration within 1.4 m,where the material and energy exchange frequently near the interface between atmosphere and soil;(2)the buffer zone of rainfall infiltration between 1.4 m and 3.5 m;(3)the migration zone of rainfall infiltration between 3.5 m and 5.0 m;and(4)the rainfall infiltration and groundwater level co-influenced zone below 5.0 m.The results revealed the reaction of soil moisture and groundwater to rainfall in the area covered by cohesive soil under humid climate in Earth’s critical zone,which is of great theoretical and practical significance for groundwater resources evaluation and development,groundwater environmental protection,ecological environmental improvement,drought disaster prevention,and flood disaster prevention in subtropical monsoon climate plain areas.

Mechanisms of hydraulic fracturing in cohesive soil

Hydraulic fracturing in the soil core of earth-rockfill dams is a common problem affecting the safety of the dams.Based on fracture tests,a new criterion for hydraulic fracturing in cohesive soil was suggested.Using this criterion,the mechanisms of hydraulic fracturing in cubic soil specimens were investigated.The results indicate that the propagation of the crack in a cubic specimen under water pressure occurs in a mixed mode Ⅰ-Ⅱ if the crack face is not perpendicular to any of the principal stresses,and the crack most likely to propagate is the one that is perpendicular to the minor principal stress and propagates in mode Ⅰ.

Dynamic properties and liquefaction behaviour of cohesive soil in northeast India under staged cyclic loading

Estimation of strain-dependent dynamic soil properties, e.g. the shear modulus and damping ratio, along with the liquefaction potential parameters, is extremely important for the assessment and analysis of almost all geotechnical problems involving dynamic loading. This paper presents the dynamic properties and liquefaction behaviour of cohesive soil subjected to staged cyclic loading, which may be caused by main shocks of earthquakes preceded or followed by minor foreshocks or aftershocks, respectively. Cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on the specimens prepared at different dry densities(1.5 g/cm^3 and1.75 g/cm^3) and different water contents ranging from 8% to 25%. The results indicated that the shear modulus reduction(G/G_(max)) and damping ratio of the specimen remain unaffected due to the changes in the initial dry density and water content. Damping ratio is significantly affected by confining pressure,whereas G/G_(max) is affected marginally. It was seen that the liquefaction criterion of cohesive soils based on single-amplitude shear strain(3.75% or the strain at which excess pore water pressure ratio becomes equal to 1, whichever is lower) depends on the initial state of soils and applied stresses. The dynamic model of the regional soil, obtained as an outcome of the cyclic triaxial tests, can be successfully used for ground response analysis of the region.

Stress-strain relationship of unsaturated cohesive soil

A moisture-content based constitutive model was proposed based on the hyperbolic model as an attempt to move towards the implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics into routine geotechnical engineering practice. The stress-strain behavior of in-situ soil at a depth of 5 m was investigated by conducting undrained triaxial compression tests using the remolded soil samples. The test results show that the stress-strain relationship of unsaturated cohesive soil is still hyperbolic. The values of parameters a and b given in the model decrease with increasing the confining pressure for soil samples with the same moisture content and increase with increasing the moisture content for soil samples under the same confining pressure. The relationships between parameters a, b and moisture content were studied for confining pressures of 100, 150, 200 and 250 kPa. The comparison between the measured and predicted stress-strain curves for an additional group of soil samples, having a moisture content of 25.4%, shows that the proposed moisture content-dependent hyperbolic model provides a good prediction of stress-strain behavior of unsaturated cohesive soil.

Inhibition effect of swelling characteristics of expansive soil using cohesive non-swelling soil layer under unidirectional seepage

Cohesive non-swelling soil(CNS)cushion technology is widely used to solve swelling deformation problems in expansive soil areas.However,the swelling inhibition mechanism is still not fully understood.In this study,the inhibition effect on expansive soil using a CNS layer was studied by performing five types of laboratory model tests under unidirectional seepage.The results showed that CNS cushion technology produced a sound inhibition effect on the swelling characteristics of expansive soil.It was shown that the cations in the CNS layer moved downward and accumulated on the surface of solids and produced an electrical environment inside the expansive soil.In this process,the adsorbed hydrated cations participated in ion exchange with the expansive soil,leading to the modification effect on its swelling potential.Meanwhile,the adsorbed water membrane surrounding the expansive soil aggregates formed by the hydrated cations obstructed further adsorption of water molecules,which inhibited the swelling development of expansive soil.Therefore,the swelling inhibition mechanism can be attributed to three factors:(i)modification effect,(ii)electrical environment,and(iii)deadweight of the CNS layer.The combined contribution of modification effect and electrical environment can be considered as an electric charge effect,which mainly controls the swelling characteristics of expansive soil.

Energy Analysis for the Compaction of Jerash Cohesive Soil

The aim of this research is to study the effect of compaction energy on Jerash cohesive soil. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of soil compaction energy with relation to unit weight and moisture content are conducted. These analyses spot the light on energy savings performed for soil compaction. The study shows that as the compaction energy increases;the unit weight of the Jerash cohesive soil increases and the optimum water content decreases. Generally, a soil with low moisture content is less vulnerable to compaction than a soil with high moisture content. But when the moisture content is too high, all the soil pores are filled with water, so that the soil becomes less compressible where the unit weight and strength characteristics decrease. The optimum energy value and optimum water content are thus of great concern. The effect of energy on soil unit weight is very large as the energy increases from 400 to 1400 KJ/m3 and after that level;the effect of energy on soil unit weight is very small. Consequently, optimal compaction energy ranges from 1200 up to value 1400 KJ/m3, where 50 to 60 blows can be applied and the optimal correlated water content is between 14% - 15%.

Flexural Behavior of Laterally Loaded Tapered Piles in Cohesive Soils

In this paper, the flexural behavior of laterally loaded tapered piles in cohesive soils is investigated. The exact solution for the governing differential equation of the problem is obtained based on the beam-on-elastic foundation approach in which the soil reaction on the pile is related directly to the pile lateral deflection. In this investigation, the modulus of subgrade reactions is assumed to be constant along the pile depth. Parametric study through numerical examples is carried out to prove the validity and accuracy of the obtained results. In general, the derived displacement field can be used to study pile response in multilayered soil profiles by subdividing the pile into a number of elements. It is found that tapered piles show stiffer behavior than that for prismatic ones having the same material volume with an optimum stress distribution along the pile depth. Accordingly, tapered piles are more efficient and economic than those having the same material volume. Verification is also carried out for the obtained results through finite element analysis and the selected number of elements gives a very good agreement for lateral deflection and a larger number of elements is required to obtain better results for bending moment because of moment loss resulting from the lack of shear diagram.

Effect of Using Stone Cutting Slurry Waste (Al-Khamkha) on the Compaction Characteristics of Jerash Cohesive Soil

The aim of this research is to study the effect of using (Al-KHAMKHA) is stone cutting slurry waste local name in JORDAN on the unit weight and moisture content of Jerash cohesive soil Al-Khamkha which is the local name of the stone cutting slurry waste which is produced during the cutting operation, This water carries large amounts of stone powder, which leads to complex nature of environmental problem so these waste material needs to be utilized meaningfully in economic way. The degree of compaction of a soil is measured in terms of its dry unit weight Al-Khamkha mixed with Jerash cohesive soil at different amount ranges from 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, up to 50% and compaction characteristics of Jerash cohesive soil without and with different amount of Al-Khamkha was studied. This investigation show that as the amount of Al-Khamkha increase from 0% to 15%, the dry unit weight of Jerash cohesive soil increase from 14.4 KN/m3 at 0% of Al-Khamkha to 16.5 KN/m3 at 15% and after that .any increase of Al-Khamkha decrease the dry unit weight. On the other hand, the optimum water content of the Jerash cohesive soil was increases with increasing the percentage of Al-Khamkha on the cohesive soil.

Calculation of passive earth pressure of cohesive soil based on Culmann's method

Based on the sliding plane hypothesis of Coulumb earth pressure theory,a new method for calculation of the passive earth pressure of cohesive soil was constructed with Culmann's graphical construction.The influences of the cohesive force,adhesive force,and the fill surface form were considered in this method.In order to obtain the passive earth pressure and sliding plane angle,a program based on the sliding surface assumption was developed with the VB.NET programming language.The calculated results from this method were basically the same as those from the Rankine theory and Coulumb theory formulas.This method is conceptually clear,and the corresponding formulas given in this paper are simple and convenient for application when the fill surface form is complex.

Effect of soil cohesion and friction angles on reverse faults

Severe faults have caused many earthquakes around the world throughout history.More recently,earthquakes have occurred in Taiwan,China(Chi-Chi fault),and elsewhere,causing loss of lives and destroying many buildings and structures.These tectonic movements have gained attention from engineers,and in the past 15 years,the focus has been on faulting mechanisms.In this study,a physical model(1 g)was fabricated and used to evaluate the impact of a reverse fault in a field with a tunnel.In the 1 g model,researchers installed additional gauges on the tunnel,so that all the displacements could be adjusted,and all the responses could be monitored during faulting.An experimental study of various soil properties(cohesion and friction angles)in reverse faults on the tunnel lining were carried out and are described herein.A comparison of results for different levels of soil cohesion revealed that it can dramatically reduce the displacement by as much as 40%,and that friction angles of 27ºcan record approximately 60%more displacements than at 37º.Furthermore,a comparison of fault angles of 30ºand 60ºindicates that the displacements can be different by more than 43%in cohesionless soil and about 64%for a friction angle of 27º.

Digital mapping of soil physical and mechanical properties using machine learning at the watershed scale

Knowledge about the spatial distribution of the soil physical and mechanical properties is crucial for soil management,water yield,and sustainability at the watershed scale;however,the lack of soil data hinders the application of this tool,thus urging the need to estimate soil properties and consequently,to perform the spatial distribution.This research attempted to examine the proficiency of three machine learning methods(RF:Random Forest;Cubist:Regression Tree;and SVM:Support Vector Machine)to predict soil physical and mechanical properties,saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks),Cohesion measured by fall-cone at the saturated(Psat)and dry(Pdry)states,hardness index(HI)and dry shear strength(SS)by integrating environmental variables and soil features in the Zayandeh-Rood dam watershed,central Iran.To determine the best combination of input variables,three scenarios were examined as follows:scenarioⅠ,terrain attributes derivative from a digital elevation model(DEM)+remotely sensed data;scenarioⅡ,covariates of scenarioⅠ+selected climatic data and some thematic maps;scenarioⅢ,covariates in scenarioⅡ+intrinsic soil properties(Clay,Silt,Sand,bulk density(BD),soil organic matter(SOM),calcium carbonate equivalent(CCE),mean weight diameter(MWD)and geometric weight diameter(GWD)).The results showed that for Ks,Psat Pdry and SS,the best performance was found by the RF model in the third scenario,with R2=0.53,0.32,0.31 and 0.41,respectively,while for soil hardness index(HI),Cubist model in the third scenario with R2=0.25 showed the highest performance.For predicting Ks and Psat,soil characteristics(i.e.clay and soil SOM and BD),and land use were the most important variables.For predicting Pdry,HI,and SS,some topographical characteristics(Valley depth,catchment area,mltiresolution of ridge top flatness index),and some soil characteristics(i.e.clay,SOM and MWD)were the most important input variables.The results of this research present moderate accuracy,however,the methodology employed provides quick and costeffective information serving as the scientific basis for decision-making goals.

非饱和黏性土的广义有效应力三剪弹塑性本构模型

将非饱和土广义有效应力原理与三剪强度准则相结合,提出了非饱和土广义有效应力三剪强度准则。将所提准则作为破坏准则,分别采用等量代换法和坐标平移法推导出新的破坏应力比,并将其与非饱和土修正剑桥模型相结合得到了新的屈服函数。相比于原来修正剑桥模型中的破坏应力比为定值,新的屈服函数可以更好地反应土体全应力状态、中间主应力效应和拉压不等效应。在弹塑性理论的框架下,建立了非饱和土的广义有效应力三剪弹塑性本构模型。以江西正常固结非饱和重塑红黏土作为试验研究对象,进行室内土工试验、土水特征曲线试验、压缩回弹试验、非饱和土常规三轴固结排水试验。将该本构模型计算结果与非饱和土三轴固结排水试验结果进行对比验证。结果表明:数值模拟结果与试验结果吻合较好,验证了该本构模型的正确性。在轴向应变较小时,等量代换法和坐标平移法模拟结果比较接近,随着轴向应变增大直至偏应力达到平稳状态的过程中,等量代换法计算结果要大于坐标平移法计算结果,且更接近于试验值。真三轴计算预测结果表明:在固结排水条件下,初始压实度、净围压、基质吸力相同,中间主应力影响系数越大,则剪应力和体应变越大。b值相同的情况下,轴向应变较小时,等量代换法计算结果和坐标平移法计算结果比较接近,随着轴向应变的增大,二者之间的差值也越来越大。

复合型固化剂固化黏土强度试验研究

为研究固化剂-黏土的强度特性,养护7 d后,对不同水泥含量的固化土采用单轴无侧限压缩试验。试件处于干燥和泡水两种状态,测得黏土、固化剂掺入黏土、固化剂与水玻璃掺入黏土三种情况下试件单轴无侧限抗压强度。分析黏土名义黏聚力c′的演化特征。试验结果表明:其他条件不变,随着水泥含量的增大,试件强度先减小后增大,当水泥含量(质量分数)为7%时,试件强度最低;加入固化剂后的泡水试件强度随着水泥含量的增大而增大;加入固化剂能显著提高试件的抗压强度;加入固化剂和水玻璃,试件强度与单独加入固化剂相差不大;名义黏聚力c′与无侧限单轴抗压强度变化规律一致。

九寨沟黏性土含量对改良碎石土水分特性的影响

[目的]分析九寨沟2017年“8·8”地震后崩坡积碎石土和当地沉积黏性土不同比例混合体的土壤水分特性,选出适宜研究区植物生长的最佳改良碎石土,为九寨沟地区灾后生态环境修复提供科学依据。[方法]将九寨沟当地黏性土与九寨沟地区碎石土以不同体积比进行混合,通过土水特征曲线试验、水分常数试验、土柱试验来探究不同比例下土壤水分特性,挑选适宜于植物生长的混合土比例。[结果]①van Genuchten模型能够很好地拟合改良碎石土的土水特征曲线,土壤进气值随着黏性土比例的增加而增加,参数α在一定程度上能够表征进气值的状态。②改良后的碎石土使吸湿系数、凋萎系数、田间持水量、饱和含水量等都随着黏性土比例的增加而增加。相较于碎石土,添加黏性土的改良碎石土可用水量增大22.26%~50.00%,最大有效水量增大70.96%~131.46%,更加有利于植物生长。③3种模型对比下,Philip模型对土壤水分入渗模拟效果最好,吸渗率S大小能够在一定程度上代表初始入渗速率的变化趋势。[结论]综合对比不同比例改良碎石土水分特性可见,当下覆土层为储水层,可选择碎石土与黏性土比例为7∶3作为改良碎石土最佳配比;当下覆土层为非储水层,无法储存水分时,可选择碎石土与黏性土比例为3∶7作为改良碎石土最佳配比。

砂柱法制样及剪切速率对黏性粗料三轴试验的影响

对砂柱法和常规方法制备的黏性粗粒土三轴试样进行饱和试验,对比其饱和效果,同时为论证砂柱对土体排水效果、应力-应变关系和强度特性的影响,开展砂柱法试样和常规试样在不同剪切速率下的三轴CD剪试验,并讨论剪切速率对试验的影响。试验结果表明:砂柱法配合反压饱和6 h,试样基本饱水均匀;常规试样的速率敏感度较高,随着剪切速率的增大,强度指标φd减小、Cd增大,同一围压下,峰值偏应力减小;体应变εv与剪切速率呈反比,且围压越大,越不利于土体排水,峰值偏应力减小的幅度越大;剪切速率与Ei呈反比,与Bi成正比,邓肯-张模型参数Rf、k、n、D和F值随剪切速率的增大而减小;砂柱法制备的试样速率敏感度较低,且砂柱法试样在0.3 mm/min剪切速率下具有同常规试样0.03 mm/min剪切速率下相似的三轴应力-应变特征;该方法获取了相近的CD剪强度指标和邓肯张模型参数,同时缩短了试验在饱和-固结-剪切3个阶段的用时,大幅提高了试验效率,具有良好的经济效益。研究结果可为与黏性粗粒土三轴试验相关的实践和研究工作提供参考。