A novel relationship between elastic modulus and void ratio associated with principal stress for coral calcareous sand

Elastic moduli,e.g.shear modulus G and bulk modulus K,are important parameters of geotechnical materials,which are not only the indices for the evaluation of the deformation ability of soils but also the important basic parameters for the development of the constitutive models of geotechnical materials.In this study,a series of triaxial loading-unloading-reloading shear tests and isotropic loading-unloadingreloading tests are conducted to study several typical mechanical properties of coral calcareous sand(CCS),and the void ratio evolution during loading,unloading and reloading.The test results show that the stress-strain curves during multiple unloading processes are almost parallel,and their slopes are much greater than the deformation modulus at the initial stage of loading.The relationship between the confining pressure and the volumetric strain can be defined approximately by a hyperbolic equation under the condition of monotonic loading of confining pressure.Under the condition of confining pressure unloading,the evolution of void ratio is linear in the e-lnp0 plane,and these lines are a series of almost parallel lines if there are multiple processes of unloading.Based on the experimental results,it is found that the modified Hardin formulae for the elastic modulus estimation have a significant deviation from the tested values for CCS.Based on the experimental results,it is proposed that the elastic modulus of soils should be determined by the intersection line of two spatial surfaces in the G/K-e-p’/pa space(pa:atmosphere pressure).“Ye formulation”is further proposed for the estimation of the elastic modulus of CCS.This new estimation formulation for soil elastic modulus would provide a new method to accurately describe the mechanical behavior of granular soils.

Compressibility characteristics of bio-cemented calcareous sand treated through the bio-stimulation approach

Calcareous sand is widely present in coastal areas around the world and is usually considered as a weak and unstable material due to its high compressibility and low strength.Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation(MICP)is a promising technique for soil improvement.However,the commonly adopted bio-augmented MICP approach is in general less compatible with the natural soil environment.Thus,this study focuses on the bio-stimulated MICP approach,which is likely to enhance the dominance of ureolytic bacteria for longer period and thus is deemed more efficient.The main objective of this paper is to investigate the compressibility of calcareous sand treated by bio-stimulated MICP approach.In the current study,a series of one-dimension compression tests was conducted on bio-cemented sand pre-pared via bio-stimulation with different initial relative densities(D r).Based on the obtained compression curves and particle size distribution(PSD)curves,the parameters including cementation content,the coefficient of compressibility(a v),PSD,relative breakage(B r),and relative agglomeration(A r)were discussed.The results showed that a v decreased with the increasing cementation content.The bio-cemented sand prepared with higher initial D r had smaller(approximately 20%e70%)a v values than that with lower initial D r.The specimen with higher initial D r and higher cementation content resulted in smaller B r but larger A r.Finally,a conceptual framework featuring multiple contact and damage modes was proposed.

Coupling effects of morphology and inner pore distribution on the mechanical response of calcareous sand particles

Calcareous sand is typically known as a problematic marine sediment because of its diverse morphology and complex inner pore structure.However,the coupling effects of morphology and inner pores on the mechanical properties of calcareous sand particles have rarely been investigated and understood.In this study,apparent contours and internal pore distributions of calcareous sand particles were obtained by three-dimensional(3D)scanning imaging and X-ray micro-computed tomography(X-mCT),respectively.It was revealed that calcareous sand particles with different outer morphologies have different porosities and inner pore distributions because of their original sources and particle transport processes.In addition,a total of 120 photo-related compression tests and 4923D discrete element simulations of four specific shaped particles,i.e.bulky,angular,dendritic and flaky,with variations in the inner pore distribution were conducted.The macroscopic particle strength and Weibull modulus obtained from the physical tests are not positively correlated with the porosity or regularity in shape,indicating the existence of coupling effect of particle shape and pore distribution.The shape effect on the particle strength first increases with the porosity and then decreases.The particle crushing of relatively regular particles is governed by the porosity,but that of extremely irregular particles is governed by the particle shape.The particle strength increases with the uniformity of the pore distribution.Particle fragmentation is mainly dependant on tensile bond strength,and the degree of tensile failure is considerably impacted by the particle shape but limited by the pore distribution.

One-dimensional dynamic compressive behavior of dry calcareous sand at high strain rates

Calcareous sand has distinct characteristics in comparison with silica sand, such as dynamic behavior at high strain rates(HSRs). This is closely related to pile driving, aircraft wheel loading and mining activities. To understand the response of calcareous sand at HSRs, a series of dynamic tests is performed using the split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB) with steel sleeve, including 6 validation tests of bar-against-bar and 16 comparative tests relevant to the relative density and strain rate of calcareous and silica sands.The apparent dynamic stiffness of calcareous sand is approximately 10% of that for silica sand due to different particle shapes and mineral compositions. The axial stress-strain response of silica sand is mainly governed by the deformation of individual grain and soil skeleton, and particle crushing. However, porous calcareous sand shows yielding and strain-hardening responses that are always followed by particle crushing. As the applied loading increases, the particle crushing of calcareous sand develops from local instability to whole breakage. Calcareous sand has lower viscous flow effects compared with silica sand at HSRs.

Shear Strength and Dilatancy of Calcareous Sand in the South China Sea

The shear strength and dilatancy of typical uncemented calcareous sand from the South China Sea are investigated by soil lab tests.According to drained triaxial tests at various relative densities and confining stresses,it is found that the constant volume friction angle is approximated as 39°and the traditional Bolton’s equations can be modified to estimate the peak friction angle and dilation angle.The reliability of the equation proposed for the peak friction angle is verified in terms of calcareous sands from more onshore and offshore sites worldwide,while the errors of the predicted dilation angles scatter in a relatively large range.Totally,the dilation angles of sands in the South China Sea are estimated by the equation presented with an error of±30%.The peak friction angle measured by the undrained is similar to that by the drained tests as the relative density smaller than 60%,while the former is slightly lower for denser samples.

Responses of calcareous sand foundations to variations of groundwater table and applied loads

The long-term settlement of calcareous sand foundations caused by daily periodic fluctuations has become a significant geological hazard,but effective monitoring tools to capture the deformation profiles are still rarely reported.In this study,a laboratory model test and an in situ monitoring test were conducted.An optical frequency domain reflectometer(OFDR)with high spatial resolution(1 mm)and high accuracy(10-6)was used to record the soil strain responses to groundwater table and varied loads.The results indicated that the fiber-optic measurements can accurately locate the swelling and compressive zones.During the loading process,the interlock between calcareous sand particles was detected,which increased the internal friction angle of soil.The foundation deformation above the sliding surface was dominated by compression,and the soil was continuously compressed beneath the sliding surface.After 26e48 h,calcareous sand swelling occurred gradually above the water table,which was primarily dependent on capillary water.The swelling of the soil beneath the groundwater table was completed rapidly within less than 2 h.When the groundwater table and load remain constant,the compression creep behavior can be described by the Yasong-Wang model with R2¼0.993.The daily periodically varying in situ deformation of calcareous sand primarily occurs between the highest and lowest groundwater tables,i.e.4.2e6.2 m deep.The tuff interlayers with poor water absorption capacity do not swell or compress,but they produce compressive strain under the influence of deformed calcareous sand layers.

Mechanical property of calcareous sand under action of compaction

Calcareous sand is a kind of special medium which is composed of calcium carbonate and other difficult soluble carbonate substances. Because of its rich in inner pore space and easy crashed,the mechanical property is very different from conventional quartz sand. Based on the compaction test and direct shear test of calcareous sand,by means of data fitting,the coupling relationship between compaction density and mechanical property under different water contents was obtained; meanwhile,the shear strength expression was built on the basis of the relationship between water content and dry density.

Study on Triaxial Mechanical Properties and Micro Mechanism of Fly Ash Reinforced Cement Calcareous Sand

In order to study the mechanical properties and micro-mechanism of industrial waste fly ash-reinforced cement calcareous sand(FCS),the triaxial unconsolidated undrained(UU)test and scanning electron microscope tests(SEM)were carried out on it.The results of UU test show that the peak stress and energy dissipation of the FCS sample first increase and then decrease with the increase in fly ash content.Fly ash enhances the cement calcareous sand by increasing both the cohesion and internal friction angle,and adding 10%content of fly ash gives the largest values.The SEM test results shows that the hydration products of cement and fly ash filled the pores and cracks on the surface of the calcareous sand,which increased the compactness and structure of the FCS samples.The porosity of cement calcareous sand can be reduced from 27.6%to 12.8%by adding 10%fly ash.A brittleness evaluation index based on energy dissipation is proposed to quantitatively characterize the brittleness of FCS samples.The results show that when the content of fly ash is 5%,the brittleness of FCS samples is the lowest.This study shows that the mechanical properties of cement calcareous sand can be effectively enhanced by adding the appropriate amount of fly ash.

The Seismic-Geological Comprehensive Prediction Method of the Low Permeability Calcareous Sandstone Reservoir

Currently in Niu-zhuang sub-sag, the seismic reflection amplitude of the newly discovered turbidite sandstone is stronger in the third Segment. The main reason is that Calcareous components accounts for a large part and physical properties is relatively poor, which results in no corresponding relation between reservoir and seismic attributes, and effective reservoir is difficult to predict and describe. Therefore, using the method of geological statistics, we firstly study the distribution of calcareous matters, secondly study the contribution to seismic reflection amplitude made by Calcareous high impedance component;thirdly analyze its influence on actual seismic reflection amplitude and determine the lithology thickness of Calcareous via replacement forward modeling. At last, we characterize the reservoir using the amplitude of calcareous matters. It proves that the method of seismic-geological comprehensive prediction is reliable. It has good guidance for exploration and development of the calcareous sand lithologic reservoir in similar areas.

砂颗粒矿物成分对MICP过程的影响及机理

微生物诱导碳酸钙沉淀(MICP)是一种绿色环保的新型土体加固技术,具有广泛的应用前景。为了研究砂颗粒矿物成分对MICP过程的影响,分别选用石英砂和钙质砂为代表性研究对象,利用环氧树脂胶结固化后打磨制成样片,再在配置好的菌液和胶结液中对样片表面进行MICP处理,结合X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)以及超声震荡试验定量分析了碳酸钙产量、矿物晶型、晶貌及界面胶结特性。结果表明:(1)钙质砂颗粒比石英砂颗粒更利于微生物诱导生成碳酸钙,平均单位面积碳酸钙生成量前者约为后者的5倍;(2)两种砂颗粒表面生成的碳酸钙主要为球霰石和方解石,钙质砂界面能更低,诱导生成更多的方解石;(3)石英砂表面生成的碳酸钙主要为较大的球形颗粒,而钙质砂表面的碳酸钙形貌主要为板片状;(4)微生物在钙质砂颗粒上诱导生成的碳酸钙呈现更高的界面胶结强度,经超声波震荡后,石英砂颗粒上碳酸钙的质量损失率约为钙质砂的10倍。在此基础上,运用微生物学、晶体化学、结晶矿物学等其他相关学科的理论,系统分析了石英砂和钙质砂对MICP过程及效果的影响机理,取得了新的认识,对优化MICP技术在岩土工程中的应用有重要意义。

未胶结钙质砂中表面基础承载力研究

本文针对南海未胶结钙质砂开展室内表面基础模型试验、大变形有限元模拟和三轴排水试验,获得钙质砂承载特性与力学性质。通过进行室内模型试验,获得松砂和中密砂中反力-位移曲线,且发现基础周围颗粒破碎不明显。然后采用商业软件Abaqus中的大变形有限元模块耦合欧拉-拉格朗日(CEL)开展表面基础有限元计算,本构模型采用摩尔-库伦模型,本构参数通过三轴排水试验确定。有限元模型经室内模型试验结果验证可靠后,开展变参计算,探究基础尺寸和土体相对密实度对表面基础承载力的影响。结果表明,表面基础承载力随基础直径增加而增大,满足幂函数变化规律,进而给出了容许承载力和极限承载力随基础直径变化的预测公式。

冲击荷载引起的颗粒破碎对钙质砂液化特性的影响

钙质砂具有孔隙率高、强度低、易破碎的特点。同时,钙质砂在波浪和地震等振动荷载的作用下,也具有发生液化的可能性。为探究钙质砂颗粒破碎与抗液化强度的关系,对南海永兴岛的钙质砂开展了三轴试验研究工作。首先,利用小型手动冲击装置对钙质砂进行破碎处理,获取了不同相对破碎率(Br)的试样,然后利用多功能动三轴仪分别对原始试样和不同破碎程度的试样进行了液化试验。结果表明:在相同围压和密实度条件下,钙质砂的抗液化强度(CRR)随着Br的增大而降低,但降低速率会随着Br的增大而减小。另一方面,相对密实度的增大会削弱颗粒破碎对钙质砂抗液化能力的影响。最后,为了定量评价颗粒破碎对钙质砂抗液化强度的影响,建立了Br-CRR的数学关系。

《西沙群岛珊瑚岛(礁)地区岩土工程勘察标准》研究与编制

为适应和满足西沙群岛珊瑚岛(礁)工程建设的需要,使珊瑚岛(礁)岩土工程勘察有据可依,总结了西沙群岛岩土工程勘察项目实践经验和研究成果,通过资料收集、分析与研究,编制了《西沙群岛珊瑚岛(礁)地区岩土工程勘察标准》(DBJ46—060—2022)。介绍标准的编制背景、编制的工作流程、标准的主要内容和重点研究内容,探讨需要进一步研究的内容。

钙质砂地基中群桩基础荷载传递特性研究

为研究钙质砂地基中群桩基础承载过程中的性能特征,开展不同桩距条件下群桩基础静载试验.得到不同桩距条件下群桩的Q-S曲线和S-lgt曲线,测得3d、4.5d、6d(d为桩径)群桩在静载条件下的极限承载力F_(u),研究各个桩段的桩身轴力、桩侧摩阻力以及桩端阻力的变化趋势.研究结果表明:群桩的Q-S曲线为缓变型,S-lgt曲线为渐变型,桩基承载变形大致分为稳定、渐进以及破坏3个阶段,相较于3d群桩,4.5d、6d群桩沉降发展更缓慢,F_(u)更高;同等桩距下,钙质砂地基表现出比陆源砂地基更强的群桩效应,钙质砂地基中群桩最佳桩距应在4.5d~6d之间.该研究为群桩在钙质砂地基中的应用提供数据支撑和理论参考.

三轴剪切过程中排水条件对钙质砂颗粒破碎、变形和强度特性的影响

钙质砂的颗粒破碎、变形和强度特性与受剪时的排水条件有关。然而当前的研究很少考虑不排水剪切过程对钙质砂颗粒破碎和力学特性的影响。对不同初始相对密实度的钙质砂进行了一系列不同有效围压下的三轴固结排水和不排水剪试验,以研究剪切过程中排水条件对钙质砂颗粒破碎和力学性质的影响。结果表明:在相同的有效围压下,排水剪试验的颗粒破碎率高于不排水剪试验。在排水剪与不排水剪过程中,钙质砂的应力-应变曲线都表现为应变软化行为,其剪胀趋势受到初始相对密实度和有效围压的影响。钙质砂的临界状态与初始状态无关,与剪切过程中的排水条件有关,对于临界应力比和相变应力比,排水剪试验大于不排水剪试验。钙质砂的峰值有效内摩擦角随初始相对密实度、有效围压和颗粒破碎率的增大而减小,但是临界有效内摩擦角不受初始条件、有效围压和颗粒破碎的影响,两种有效内摩擦角都与剪切过程中的排水条件有关。对于峰值有效内摩擦角和临界有效内摩擦角,排水剪试验大于不排水剪试验。上述结果表明,钙质砂的颗粒破碎、变形和强度特性与剪切过程中的排水条件具有明显的相关性。

聚氨酯固化钙质砂物理力学特性

聚氨酯加固是一种新型环保快速的土质改良方法。针对南海钙质砂采用聚氨酯快速改良,并通过室内试验验证该处置方法的有效性和适用性。通过对聚氨酯固化钙质砂试样开展无侧限抗压强度试验、静力荷载和循环荷载下的三轴试验以及渗透试验,研究聚氨酯固化钙质砂的最佳凝胶时间,静、动强度特性及渗透特性。试验结果表明:固化试样的最佳凝胶时间为6.5 h;随着掺量的增加,固化钙质砂黏聚力得到显著提高,内摩擦角基本保持不变,在海水环境养护下的聚氨酯钙质砂仍然保持了较高的强度;随着掺量的增加,聚氨酯钙质砂的初始动剪切模量增加,最大阻尼比降低;钙质素砂渗透系数的数量级为10^(-6),掺入2%~10%聚氨酯后数量级降至10^(-8)~10^(-7),聚氨酯补漏效果较好。

微生物加固钙质砂地基电阻率特性试验研究

微生物加固砂土地基存在加固不均匀的问题,采用自主研发的多通道电阻率测量技术对微生物加固钙质砂地基的电阻率分布规律开展了试验研究,研究了菌液和反应液在注入土体后对电阻率幅值及变化规律的影响,最后根据电阻率分布情况,探讨了微生物加固钙质砂地基空间上加固程度的差异性,以及利用电阻率法监测微生物加固过程和加固效果的可行性。试验结果表明:微生物加固钙质砂地基的电阻率受土体密度,菌液与反应液影响较大,其中,反应液对电阻率的影响程度最高。整体上电阻率随着加固次数的增加呈现先增大后减小的规律,深部土体电阻率显著低于上部土体,第七至第八次加固后,土体电阻率开始增加,这一现象的原因可能为土体中的孔隙在多次加固后逐渐被生成的碳酸钙填充,土体中的离子交换通道减少导致电阻率增加,此时碳酸钙填充孔隙对电阻率的影响占主导地位。

钙质砂特征形状分析及不排水剪切强度研究

钙质砂的形状是影响其宏观力学性质的重要因素。人工挑选出不同特征形状(块状、片状、条状)的钙质砂,通过显微图像采集与处理技术,定义并构建了一个形状参数(偏离度α),对钙质砂的特征形状进行三维定量描述,配制3种不同形状掺量的钙质砂试样进行三轴固结不排水剪切试验,研究钙质砂的特征形状对其剪切特性的影响。研究结果表明:(1)偏离度α能够较好地对钙质砂的形状进行描述及区分,可作为一种量化钙质砂形状的有效手段;(2)钙质砂的不排水剪切强度与偏离度α有较好的相关性:若增加片状钙质砂的含量(α增加),则试样的不排水剪切强度降低,若增加条状钙质砂的含量(α减小),不排水剪切强度增大。研究成果不但加深了对钙质砂特征形状的理解,还为准确评估钙质砂的抗剪强度提供了新思路。

考虑颗粒破碎影响的钙质砂中海底管道贯入机制研究

通过离心机模型试验,结合离散元数值分析对钙质砂中海底管道竖向贯入机制进行了研究。研究结果显示,钙质砂中管道竖向贯入阻力与埋深基本呈线性关系,其值大致等于管-土接触宽度与静力触探试验(cone penetration test,简称CPT)中相同深度锥尖阻力的乘积。当管道埋深较小时,由于土体变形主要以颗粒重排挤密为主,管道竖向贯入阻力几乎不受颗粒强度影响;当管道埋深较大时,管道竖向贯入阻力随着颗粒强度的降低以及颗粒破碎的加剧而减小。钙质砂中管道竖向贯入机制主要表现为典型的冲剪破坏,土体变形主要集中在管道底部,且水滴状变形区域随着颗粒破碎的加剧逐渐收缩。颗粒破碎从管道底部向远离管道径向发展,大量贴近管道底部的颗粒发生连续破碎,少量远离管道的颗粒发生独立破碎。颗粒破碎导致管道底部土体中的集中应力释放,颗粒破碎越多,应力释放导致管道竖向贯入阻力减小的现象越明显。

微生物结合碳纤维加固钙质砂的高强度试验研究

为了研究微生物诱导碳酸钙沉淀(MICP)结合碳纤维固化钙质砂的效果及机理,先通过低轮次注浆试验探究碳纤维对MICP加固钙质砂效果的影响,并确定碳纤维的最佳掺量及长度,然后开展高轮次注浆试验,研究MICP胶结液无法再注入时的砂柱强度,通过试验结果对比和扫描电镜等分析,分析了微生物、碳纤维及钙质砂之间的作用机理。试验结果表明,掺加碳纤维能显著提高微生物加固钙质砂的强度。在低轮次注浆试验中,掺加碳纤维能有效提高碳酸钙的生成量及试样强度,纤维组的碳酸钙生成量比无纤维对照组提高了15%~34%,试样强度提高了135%~217%;高轮次注浆试验中,在MICP胶结液无法再注入砂柱的情况下,由于两组试样注浆轮次的差异,纤维组最终的碳酸钙生成量对比无纤维对照组减少了4%,试样强度提高了11%。