Liquefaction proneness of stratified sand-silt layers based on cyclic triaxial tests

Most studies on liquefaction have addressed homogeneous soil strata using sand or sand with fine content without considering soil stratification.In this study,cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on the stratified sand specimens embedded with the silt layers to investigate the liquefaction failures and void-redistribution at confining stress of 100 kPa under stress-controlled mode.The loosening of underlying sand mass and hindrance to pore-water flow caused localized bulging at the sand-silt interface.It is observed that at a silt thickness of 0.2H(H is the height of the specimen),nearly 187 load cycles were required to attain liquefaction,which was the highest among all the silt thicknesses with a single silt layer.Therefore,0.2H is assumed as the optimum silt thickness(t_(opt)).The silt was placed at the top,middle and bottom of the specimen to understand the effect of silt layer location.Due to the increase in depth of the silt layer from the top position(capped soil state)to the bottom,the cycles to reach liquefaction(N_(cyc,L))increased 2.18 times.Also,when the number of silt layers increased from single to triple,there was an increase of about 880%in N_(cyc,L).The micro-characterization analysis of the soil specimens indicated silty materials transported in upper sections of the specimen due to the dissipated pore pressure.The main parameters,including thickness(t),location(z),cyclic stress ratio(CSR),number of silt layers(n)and modified relative density(D_(r,m)),performed significantly in governing the lique-faction resistance.For this,a multilinear regression model is developed based on critical parameters for prediction of N_(cyc,L).Furthermore,the developed constitutive model has been validated using the data from the present study and earlier findings.

Assessment of cyclic deformation and critical stress amplitude of jointed rocks via cyclic triaxial testing

Jointed rock specimens with a natural replicated joint surface oriented at a mean dip angle of 60were prepared,and a series of cyclic triaxial tests was performed at different confining pressures and cyclic deviatoric stress amplitudes.The samples were subjected to 10,000 loading-unloading cycles with a frequency of 8 Hz.At each level of confining pressure,the applied cyclic deviatoric stress amplitude was increased incrementally until excessive deformation of the jointed rock specimen was observed.Analysis of the test results indicated that there existed a critical cyclic deviatoric stress amplitude(i.e.critical dynamic deviatoric stress)beyond which the jointed rock specimens yielded.The measured critical dynamic deviatoric stress was less than the corresponding static deviatoric stress.At cyclic deviatoric stress amplitudes less than the critical dynamic deviatoric stress,minor cumulative residual axial strains were observed,resulting in hysteretic damping.However,for cyclic deviatoric stresses beyond the critical dynamic deviatoric stress,the plastic strains increased promptly,and the resilient moduli degraded rapidly during the initial loading cycles.Cyclic triaxial test results showed that at higher confining pressures,the ultimate residual axial strain attained by the jointed rock specimen decreased,the steadystate dissipated energy density and steady-state damping ratio per load cycle decreased,while steadystate resilient moduli increased.

Theoretical investigation on axial cyclic performance of monopile in sands using interface constitutive models

Cyclic loads generated by environmental factors,such as winds,waves,and trains,will likely lead to performance degradation in pile foundations,resulting in issues like permanent displacement accumulation and bearing capacity attenuation.This paper presents a semi-analytical solution for predicting the axial cyclic behavior of piles in sands.The solution relies on two enhanced nonlinear load-transfer models considering stress-strain hysteresis and cyclic degradation in the pile-soil interaction.Model parameters are calibrated through cyclic shear tests of the sand-steel interface and laboratory geotechnical testing of sands.A novel aspect involves the meticulous formulation of the shaft loadtransfer function using an interface constitutive model,which inherently inherits the interface model’s advantages,such as capturing hysteresis,hardening,degradation,and particle breakage.The semi-analytical solution is computed numerically using the matrix displacement method,and the calculated values are validated through model tests performed on non-displacement and displacement piles in sands.The results demonstrate that the predicted values show excellent agreement with the measured values for both the static and cyclic responses of piles in sands.The displacement pile response,including factors such as bearing capacity,mobilized shaft resistance,and convergence rate of permanent settlement,exhibit improvements compared to non-displacement piles attributed to the soil squeezing effect.This methodology presents an innovative analytical framework,allowing for integrating cyclic interface models into the theoretical investigation of pile responses.

Dynamic failure process of expanded polystyrene particle lightweight soil under cyclic loading using discrete element method

Expanded polystyrene(EPS)particle-based lightweight soil,which is a type of lightweight filler,is mainly used in road engineering.The stability of subgrades under dynamic loading is attracting increased research attention.The traditional method for studying the dynamic strength characteristics of soils is dynamic triaxial testing,and the discrete element simulation of lightweight soils under cyclic load has rarely been considered.To study the meso-mechanisms of the dynamic failure processes of EPS particle lightweight soils,a discrete element numerical model is established using the particle flow code(PFC)software.The contact force,displacement field,and velocity field of lightweight soil under different cumulative compressive strains are studied.The results show that the hysteresis curves of lightweight soil present characteristics of strain accumulation,which reflect the cyclic effects of the dynamic load.When the confining pressure increases,the contact force of the particles also increases.The confining pressure can restrain the motion of the particle system and increase the dynamic strength of the sample.When the confining pressure is held constant,an increase in compressive strain causes minimal change in the contact force between soil particles.However,the contact force between the EPS particles decreases,and their displacement direction points vertically toward the center of the sample.Under an increase in compressive strain,the velocity direction of the particle system changes from a random distribution and points vertically toward the center of the sample.When the compressive strain is 5%,the number of particles deflected in the particle velocity direction increases significantly,and the cumulative rate of deformation in the lightweight soil accelerates.Therefore,it is feasible to use 5%compressive strain as the dynamic strength standard for lightweight soil.Discrete element methods provide a new approach toward the dynamic performance evaluation of lightweight soil subgrades.

Experimental investigation on shear strength deterioration at the interface between different rock types under cyclic loading

The shear strength deterioration of bedding planes between different rock types induced by cyclic loading is vital to reasonably evaluate the stability of soft and hard interbedded bedding rock slopes under earthquake;however,rare work has been devoted to this subject due to lack of attention.In this study,experimental investigations on shear strength weakening of discontinuities with different joint wall material(DDJM)under cyclic loading were conducted by taking the interface between siltstone and mudstone in the Shaba slope of Yunnan Province,China as research objects.A total of 99 pairs of similar material samples of DDJM(81 pairs)and discontinuities with identical joint wall material(DIJM)(18 pairs)were fabricated by inserting plates,engraved with typical surface morphology obtained by performing three-dimensional laser scanning on natural DDJMs sampled from field,into mold boxes.Cyclic shear tests were conducted on these samples to study their shear strength changes with the cyclic number considering the effects of normal stress,joint surface morphology,shear displacement amplitude and shear rate.The results indicate that the shear stress vs.shear displacement curves under each shear cycle and the peak shear strength vs.cyclic number curves of the studied DDJMs are between those of DIJMs with siltstone and mudstone,while closer to those of DIJMs with mudstone.The peak shear strengths of DDJMs exhibit an initial rapid decline followed by a gradual decrease with the cyclic number and the decrease rate varies from 6%to 55.9%for samples with varied surface morphology under different testing conditions.The normal stress,joint surface morphology,shear displacement amplitude and shear rate collectively influence the shear strength deterioration of DDJM under cyclic shear loading,with the degree of influence being greater for larger normal stress,rougher surface morphology,larger shear displacement amplitude and faster shear rate.

The Effect of Preloading on the Cyclic Liquefaction Strength Measured in the Laboratory

The effect of preloading on the liquefaction cyclic strength was investigated by cyclic shear tests where horizontal shear stress oscillated about a zero mean value on sands with varying fines content and at varying prestress ratios, densities and verticalstresses. Test results showed a marked increase of the cyclic soil strength with the prestress ratio. The effect is more pronounced for the looser specimens. An empirical expression predicting this effect is proposed. This expression is validated from results of a field test.

Seismic performance evaluation of an infilled rocking wall frame structure through quasi-static cyclic testing

Earthquake investigations have illustrated that even code-compliant reinforced concrete frames may suffer from soft-story mechanism.This damage mode results in poor ductility and limited energy dissipation.Continuous components offer alternatives that may avoid such failures.A novel infilled rocking wall frame system is proposed that takes advantage of continuous component and rocking characteristics.Previous studies have investigated similar systems that combine a reinforced concrete frame and a wall with rocking behavior used.However,a large-scale experimental study of a reinforced concrete frame combined with a rocking wall has not been reported.In this study,a seismic performance evaluation of the newly proposed infilled rocking wall frame structure was conducted through quasi-static cyclic testing.Critical joints were designed and verified.Numerical models were established and calibrated to estimate frame shear forces.The results evaluation demonstrate that an infilled rocking wall frame can effectively avoid soft-story mechanisms.Capacity and initial stiffness are greatly improved and self-centering behavior is achieved with the help of the infilled rocking wall.Drift distribution becomes more uniform with height.Concrete cracks and damage occurs in desired areas.The infilled rocking wall frame offers a promising approach to achieving seismic resilience.

Field testing of stiffened deep cement mixing piles under lateral cyclic loading

Construction of seaside and underground wall bracing often uses stiffened deep cement mixed columns （SDCM）. This research investigates methods used to improve the level of bearing capacity of these SDCM when subjected to cyclic lateral loading via various types of stiffer cores. Eight piles, two deep cement mixed piles and six stiffened deep cement mixing piles with three different types of cores, H shape cross section prestressed concrete, steel pipe, and H-beam steel, were embedded though soft clay into medium-hard clay on site in Thailand. Cyclic horizontal loading was gradually applied until pile failure and the hysteresis loops of lateral load vs. lateral deformation were recorded. The lateral carrying capacities of the SDCM piles with an H-beam steel core increased by 3-4 times that of the DCM piles. This field research clearly shows that using H-beam steel as a stiffer core for SDCM piles is the best method to improve its lateral carrying capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity.

Model test of the influence of cyclic water level fluctuations on a landslide

Many landslides in reservoir areas continuously deform under cyclic water level fluctuations due to reservoir operations. In this paper,a landslide model, developed for a typical colluvial landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, is used to study the effect of cyclic water level fluctuations on the landslide. Five cyclic water level fluctuations were implemented in the test, and the fluctuation rate in the last two fluctuations doubled over the first three fluctuations. The pore water pressure and lateral landslide profiles were obtained during the test. A measurement of the landslide soil loss was proposed to quantitatively evaluate the influence of water level fluctuations. The test results show that the first water level rising is most negative to the landslide among the five cycles. The fourth drawdown with a higher drawdown rate caused further large landslide deformation. An increase of the water level drawdown rate is much more unfavorable to the landslide than an increase of the water level rising rate. In addition, the landslide was found to have an adaptive ability to resist subsequent water level fluctuations after undergoing large deformation during a water level fluctuation. The landslide deformation and observations in the field were found to support the test results well.

Testing and modeling of cyclically loaded rock anchors

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration(NPRA) is planning for an upgrade of the E39 highway route at the westcoast of Norway. Fixed links shall replace ferries at seven fjord crossings. Wide spans and large depths at the crossings combined with challenging subsea topography and environmental loads call for an extension of existing practice. A variety of bridge concepts are evaluated in the feasibility study. The structures will experience significant loads from deadweight, traffic and environment. Anchoring of these forces is thus one of the challenges met in the project. Large-size subsea rock anchors are considered a viable alternative. These can be used for anchoring of floating structures but also with the purpose of increasing capacity of fixed structures. This paper presents first a thorough study of factors affecting rock anchor bond capacity. Laboratory testing of rock anchors subjected to cyclic loading is thereafter presented. Finally, the paper presents a model predicting the capacity of a rock anchor segment, in terms of a ribbed bar, subjected to a cyclic load history. The research assumes a failure mode occurring in the interface between the rock anchor and the surrounding grout. The constitutive behavior of the bonding interface is investigated for anchors subjected to cyclic one-way tensile loads. The model utilizes the static bond capacity curve as a basis, defining the ultimate bond sbuand the slip s1 at τ. A limited number of input parameters are required to apply the model. The model defines the bond-slip behavior with the belonging rock anchor capacity depending on the cyclic load level(τcy/τ), the cyclic load ratio(R= τcy/τcy), and the number of load cycles(N). The constitutive model is intended to model short anchor lengths representing an incremental length of a complete rock anchor.

Influence of volume compression on the unloading deformation behavior of red sandstone under damage-controlled cyclic triaxial loading

A reasonable evaluation of unloading deformation characteristics is of great significance for the effective analysis of deformation and stability of surrounding rocks after underground excavation.In this study,the damage-controlled cyclic triaxial loading tests were conducted to investigate the pore compaction mechanism and its influences on the unloading deformation behavior of red sandstone,including Young’s modulus,Poisson’s ratio,volumetric strain,and irreversible strain.The experimental results show that the increases of volumetric and irreversible strains of rocks can be attributed to the compaction mechanism,which almost dominates the entire pre-peak deformation process.The unloading deformation consists of the reversible linear and nonlinear strains,and the irreversible strain under the influence of the porous grain structure.The pre-peak Young’s modulus tends to increase and then decrease due to the influence of the unloading irreversible strain.However,it hardly changes with the increasing volumetric strain compaction under the influence of reversible nonlinear strain.Instead,the initial unloading tangent modulus is highly related to the volumetric strain,and clearly reflects the compaction state of red sandstone.Furthermore,both the reversible nonlinear and irreversible unloading deformations are independent of confining pressure.This study is beneficial for the theoretical modeling and prediction of cyclic unloading deformation behavior of red sandstone.

Conceptual study of X-braced frames with different steel grades using cyclic half-scale tests

In this paper, an experimental and analytical study of two half-scale steel X-braced flames with equal nominal shear strength under cyclic loading is described. In these tests, all members except the braces are similar. The braces are made of various steel grades to monitor the effects of seismic excitation. Internal stiffeners are employed to limit the local buckling and increase the fracture life of the steel bracing. A heavy central core is introduced at the intersection of the braces to decrease their effective length. Recent seismic specifications are considered in the design of the X-braced frame members to verify their efficiency. The failure modes of the X-braced frames are also illustrated. It is observed that the energy dissipation capacity, ultimate load capacity and ductility of the system increase considerably by using lower grade steel and proposed detailing. Analytical modeling of the specimens using nonlinear finite element software supports the experimental findings.

Cyclic testing of moment-shear force interaction in reinforced concrete shear wall substructures

Previous quasi-static cyclic tests of shear walls,which routinely used an incremental lateral displacement test protocol with a constant axial load,failed to reflect the character of moment-shear force interaction of prototype buildings.To study the effect of the moment-shear force interaction on the seismic performance of shear walls,three identical 2-story shear wall specimens with different loading patterns were constructed at 1/2 scale,to represent the lower portion of an 11-story high-rise building,and were tested under reversed cyclic loads.The axial force,shear force and bending moment were simultaneously applied to simulate the effects of gravity loads and earthquake excitations on the prototype.The axial force and bending moment delivered from the upper structure were applied to the top of the specimens by two vertical actuators,and the shear force was applied to the specimens by two horizontal actuators.A mixed force-displacement control test program was adopted to ensure that the bending moment and the lateral shear were increased proportionally.The experimental results show that the moment-shear force interaction had a significant effect on the failure pattern,hysteretic characteristics,ductility and energy dissipation of the specimens.It is recommended that moment-shear force interaction should be considered in the loading condition of RC shear wall substructures cyclic tests.

Cyclic behavior test of a new double-arch steel gate

A new double-arch structure for the gate used as tidal barrage and sluice was adopted in Caoe River Dam in China. It was a spatial structure made up of the right arch, the invert arch, the chord, etc., and was designed to bear bilateral loads. To research the cyclic behavior of the new double-arch structure, a scale-model cyclic test was conducted. First, the test setup and test method were presented in detail, and according to the test results, the cyclic behavior and failure characteristics of this structure were discussed. Then by analyzing the test cyclic envelope curve, it was found the curve was divided into three stages: the elastic stage, the local plastic stage and the failure stage at the local yield point and structural yield point. The gate model has local yield strength and structural yield strength, with both their values being bigger than that of the designing load. Therefore, the gate is safe enough for the projects. At last, dynamic property of the gate was analyzed considering additional mass of the water. It was found that the tidal bore shock would not cause resonance vibration of the gate.

Cyclic Shear Tests on Key Connection Joints of Modularized Constructions

Modularized construction is a new type of prefabricated building system with green environmental protection and excellent performance. There are few studies on the seismic performance of its key connection joint. This paper presents a new type of assembled connection joint for the high-rise modularized construction. Cyclic shear tests of full-scale joints were carried out, and the key indexes of their seismic performances including the hysteretic performance, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity were analyzed and obtained. The results show that the hysteresis loops of longitudinal and lateral cyclic shear tests were both plump in shapes. The ductility coefficients were 4.54 and 4.98, and the energy dissipation coefficients were 1.83 and 1.43, respectively. The test joint had good ductility and energy dissipation capacity. The positions of yield failure of specimens were mainly concentrated in the connection areas between the column and short beam or end-plate. The research can provide the technical reference for the seismic design and engineering application of related modularized constructions.

Comparison of Procedures to Evaluate the Cyclic Stress-Strain Curve from Incremental Step Test

The design of structural components in low-cycle fatigue field often requires the knowledge of the cyclic properties of the material, which are commonly described by the classical relation of Ramberg-Osgood. In order to obtain the cyclic curve using experimental data from incremental step tests, four methodologies are described and critically discussed. Three methods differ in the procedure of evaluation of the elastic modulus, while in the last one the experimental data are interpolated with a single non-linear regression. The various techniques were applied to data obtained from tests carried out on stainless steel specimens, and the resulting differences were analysed and quantified. An average behaviour was evaluated considering the total set of data obtained from experimental tests. The choice of the most suitable method is related to both the strain range of interest and the goal for which the results are used.

Monotonic and Cyclic Pushover Tests of Wood Beam-Column Connections:Ancient Chinese Tenon Joint vs Typical and Simplified US Connections

Wood beam-column frame is a popular structural system in United States and in ancient China. Chinese wood beam-column frame structures showed better seismic resistance properties than the US ones.The tenon joint is one of the reasons.This study performed monotonic and cyclic pushover tests to understand the behavior of Chinese tenon joints versus the behavior of the commonly used US wood beam-column connections. The test results indicate that the typical US wood beam-column connection is very strong under monotonic loads.The ancient Chinese tenon joint has the best behavior under cyclic loads.

轻钢龙骨混凝土复合外挂墙板力学性能试验研究

复合墙板性能关系着结构的安全,在新设计建造的轻钢龙骨复合墙板投入使用前应进行力学性能试验,以评估其安全性能。为研究墙板的受力变形过程及破坏形态,对两片不同的轻钢龙骨混凝土复合外挂墙板分别进行四点弯曲试验和低周反复荷载试验。弯曲试验结果表明,弯曲过程中墙板出现裂缝时的计算等效均布荷载大于建筑风荷载标准值,抗弯性能满足受力要求。墙板经历了弹性阶段、弹塑性变形阶段和屈服破坏阶段,主要通过钢材屈服后的弹塑性变形和材料的破坏来实现耗能,屈服前耗能占总耗能的6.19%,屈服后累计耗能呈现二次抛物线增长,这一结果体现了墙板良好的抗震能力。研究结果可为实际应用提供依据。

循环张拉作用下新型多节泡土钉抗拔性能现场试验研究

新型多节泡土钉具有拉拔硬化特征,相比传统土钉,其在土质边坡中抗拔性能更优。为了探究实际工况条件下新型多节泡土钉的边坡加固性能,并与传统土钉进行比较,开展7组新型多节泡土钉及传统土钉现场循环张拉试验,研究注浆工艺、节泡间距及埋深对土钉抗拔力及其发挥速率的影响规律,进而探明了每一循环下土钉弹、塑性拉拔位移占比,并分析其内在机理。试验结果表明:循环张拉作用下,注浆工艺对土钉的抗拔力影响显著,采用改进式压密注浆工艺和直接压密注浆工艺的土钉抗拔力远远超出传统注浆工艺,且初期的拉拔硬化现象更明显。采用改进式压密注浆工艺的土钉抗拔力发挥速率最快,直接压密注浆工艺次之,传统注浆工艺最小。从总体趋势上看,新型多节泡土钉抗拔力发挥速率在降低,传统土钉抗拔力发挥速率在升高。采用改进式压密注浆工艺虽然不能提升土钉弹性拉拔位移的占比,却能显著提高极限抗拔力;节泡间距对多节泡土钉抗拔力和抗拔力发挥速率影响较小,主要受到土钉周围土体强度的影响;埋深影响多节泡土钉的极限抗拔力,埋深越大,极限抗拔力和初始抗拔力发挥速率越大,同时抗拔力发挥速率随拉拔位移递减的趋势也更加明显。研究成果对提高新型多节泡土钉加固性能和优化工程应用提供指导。

双层圆钢管混凝土长柱压扭滞回性能试验

为研究双层圆钢管混凝土长柱在压、扭荷载作用下的力学性能,利用研制的Stewart六自由度加载平台,进行了两个普通圆钢管混凝土长柱和两个双层圆钢管混凝土长柱试件在纯扭、压扭作用下的低周往复试验。对比分析了各试件的承载力、扭转变形、耗能、滞回性能,进行了有限元参数分析。研究表明:普通圆钢管混凝土长柱和双层圆钢管混凝土长柱均具有较好的抗扭能力;与普通圆钢管混凝土长柱相比,双层圆钢管混凝土长柱的初始刚度和承载力略有提升,滞回曲线更饱满,耗能能力和延性大幅提升;参数分析表明含钢率一定时,内层钢管径厚比越大,对抗扭越有利;一定范围内的轴向荷载,可提高钢管混凝土柱的抗扭能力。