Prediction of the undrained shear strength of remolded soil with non-linear regression,fuzzy logic,and artificial neural network

This study aims to predict the undrained shear strength of remolded soil samples using non-linear regression analyses,fuzzy logic,and artificial neural network modeling.A total of 1306 undrained shear strength results from 230 different remolded soil test settings reported in 21 publications were collected,utilizing six different measurement devices.Although water content,plastic limit,and liquid limit were used as input parameters for fuzzy logic and artificial neural network modeling,liquidity index or water content ratio was considered as an input parameter for non-linear regression analyses.In non-linear regression analyses,12 different regression equations were derived for the prediction of undrained shear strength of remolded soil.Feed-Forward backpropagation and the TANSIG transfer function were used for artificial neural network modeling,while the Mamdani inference system was preferred with trapezoidal and triangular membership functions for fuzzy logic modeling.The experimental results of 914 tests were used for training of the artificial neural network models,196 for validation and 196 for testing.It was observed that the accuracy of the artificial neural network and fuzzy logic modeling was higher than that of the non-linear regression analyses.Furthermore,a simple and reliable regression equation was proposed for assessments of undrained shear strength values with higher coefficients of determination.

Determination of undrained shear strength using piezocone penetration test in clayey soil for bridge foundation

In order to obtain the reasonable undrained shear strength Su for geotechnical analyses of bridge foundations in Yangtze River floodplain clayey soils, a site-specific study is conducted using the imported piezocone penetration test （CPTu） with dissipation phases at the Fourth Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge construction sites. Taking the values of Su from laboratory tests as references, several existing Su-predicted methods based on CPTu are compared and evaluated. To verify the presented cone factor Nk, additional test sites are selected and examined. The results show that the values of cone factors such as Nkt, Nke, and Nau, depend on the shear test mode and disturbance. Generally, the values of Nke show more scattering than those of Nkt and N△u. For the stratified and layered sediments of the Yangtze River floodplain, it is recommended using the net cone resistance qT to estimate Su and the preliminary cone factor values Nkt are from 7 to 16, with an average of 11. It is also confirmed that the CPTu test, as a new technique in site characterization, can present reasonable parameters for bridge foundations.

Prediction of undrained shear strength using extreme gradient boosting and random forest based on Bayesian optimization

Accurate assessment of undrained shear strength(USS)for soft sensitive clays is a great concern in geotechnical engineering practice.This study applies novel data-driven extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)and random forest(RF)ensemble learning methods for capturing the relationships between the USS and various basic soil parameters.Based on the soil data sets from TC304 database,a general approach is developed to predict the USS of soft clays using the two machine learning methods above,where five feature variables including the preconsolidation stress(PS),vertical effective stress(VES),liquid limit(LL),plastic limit(PL)and natural water content(W)are adopted.To reduce the dependence on the rule of thumb and inefficient brute-force search,the Bayesian optimization method is applied to determine the appropriate model hyper-parameters of both XGBoost and RF.The developed models are comprehensively compared with three comparison machine learning methods and two transformation models with respect to predictive accuracy and robustness under 5-fold cross-validation(CV).It is shown that XGBoost-based and RF-based methods outperform these approaches.Besides,the XGBoostbased model provides feature importance ranks,which makes it a promising tool in the prediction of geotechnical parameters and enhances the interpretability of model.

Undrained shear strength evaluation for hydrate-bearing sediment overlying strata in the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea

The undrained shear strength of shallow strata is a critical parameter for safety design in deep-water operations.In situ piezocone penetration tests(CPTU) and laboratory experiments are performed at Site W18-19 in the Shenhu area, northern South China Sea, where China's first marine hydrate exploitation operation is due to be located. The validation of the undrained shear strength prediction model based on CPTU parameters. Different laboratory tests, including pocket penetrometer, torvane, miniature vane and unconsolidated undrained triaxial tests, are employed to solve empirical cone coefficients by statistical and mathematical methods. Finally, an optimized model is proposed to describe the longitudinal distribution of undrained shear strength in calcareous clay strata in the Shenhu area. Research results reveal that average empirical cone coefficients based on total cone resistance, effective resistance, and excess-pore pressure are 13.8, 4.2 and 14.4, respectively. The undrained shear strength prediction model shows a good fit with the laboratory results only within specific intervals based on their compaction degree and gas-bearing conditions. The optimized prediction model in piecewise function format can be used to describe the longitudinal distribution of the undrained shear strength for calcareous clay within all depth intervals from the mud-line to the upper boundary of hydrate-bearing sediments(HBS). The optimized prediction result indicates that the effective cone resistance model is suitable for very soft to firm calcareous clays,the excess-pore pressure model can depict the undrained shear strength for firm to very stiff but gas-free clays,while the total cone resistance model is advantageous for evaluating the undrained shear strength for very stiff and gassy clays. The optimized model in piecewise function format can considerably improve the adaptability of empirical models for calcareous clay in the Shenhu area. These results are significant for safety evaluations of proposed hydrate exploitation projects.

Revisiting the Bjerrum's correction factor:Use of the liquidity index for assessing the effect of soil plasticity on undrained shear strength

The undrained shear strength （su） of fine-grained soils that can be measured in situ and in laboratory isone of the key geotechnical parameters. The unconfined compression test （UCT） is widely used in laboratoryto measure this parameter due to its simplicity; however, it is severely affected by sampledisturbance. The vane shear test （VST） technique that is less sensitive to sample disturbance involves acorrection factor against the soil plasticity, commonly known as the Bjerrum＇s correction factor, m. Thisstudy aims to reevaluate the Bjerrum＇s correction factor in consideration of a different approach and arelatively new method of testing. Atterberg limits test, miniature VST, and reverse extrusion test （RET）were conducted on 120 remolded samples. The effect of soil plasticity on undrained shear strength wasexamined using the liquidity index instead of Bjerrum＇s correction factor. In comparison with the resultobatined using the Bjerrum＇s correction factor, the undrained shear strength was better representedwhen su values were correlated with the liquidity index. The results were validated by the RET, whichwas proven to take into account soil plasticity with a reliable degree of accuracy. This study also showsthat the RET has strong promise as a new tool for testing undrained shear strength of fine-grained soils.

Studies on Suction-Assisted Installation Behavior of Suction Caissons in Clay Under Various Undrained Shear Strengths

Suction caissons are widely used for anchoring floating platform and offshore wind turbines.Penetration of the suction caisson into the desired position under the combination of its self-weight and applied suction resulted from pumping out the encased water is integral to practical engineering.Model tests were carried out to investigate the suctionassisted installation of suction caissons in clay under various undrained shear strengths.It was found that there exists a critical penetration depth value.When the penetration depth is smaller than the critical value,the soil plug undrained shear strength is higher than intact clay(i.e.,clay prior to installation).However,when the penetration depth is greater than the critical penetration depth,the undrained shear strength of soil plug is lower than intact clay.The critical value decreases with the increasing consolidation time and undrained shear strength of clay.During suction-assisted installation,cracks occur around suction caissons.The installation way has little effect on the crack formation.The influence range(i.e.,the maximum distance between the crack and the suction caisson edge)was found to increase with the increasing friction coefficient of interface between the suction caisson wall and soil and decreases with the increasing soil undrained shear strength.In addition,the drained condition of the clay during installation is dominated by the caisson aspect ratio,the undrained shear strength and the friction coefficient between the caisson wall and clay.Equations to estimate the penetration resistance and the required suction to install the suction caisson are summarized.

CPT-Based estimation of undrained shear strength of fine-grained soils in the Huanghe River Delta

The Huanghe River(Yellow River)Delta has a wide distribution of fine-grained soils.Fluvial alluviation,erosion,and wave loads affect the shoal area,resulting complex physical and mechanical properties to sensitive finegrained soil located at the river-sea boundary.The cone penetration test(CPT)is a convenient and effective in situ testing method which can accurately identify various soil parameters.Studies on undrained shear strength only roughly determine the fine content(FC)without making the FC effect clear.We studied four stations formed in different the Huanghe River Delta periods.We conducted in situ CPT and corresponding laboratory tests,examined the fine content influence on undrained shear strength(S_(u)),and determined the cone coefficient(N_(k)).The conclusions are as follows.(1)The fine content in the area exceeded 90%,and the silt content was high,accounting for more than 70%of all fine particle compositions.(2)The undrained shear strength gradually increased with depth with a maximum of approximately 250 kPa.When the silt content was lower than 60%–70%,the undrained shear strength decreased.(3)The silt and clay content influenced undrained shear strength,and the fitted f_(s)h/q_(t) function model was established,which could be applied to strata with a high fine content.The cone coefficients were between 20 and 25,and the overconsolidated soil layer had a greater cone coefficient.

Using Piezocone Dissipation Test to Estimate the Undrained Shear Strength (<i>s_u</i>), <i>N_kt</i>and <i>N_Δu</i>Factors in Cohesive Soils

The current practice of geotechnical engineering commonly uses a combination of theoretical and empirical correlations to estimate the soil undrained shear strength in clays from the piezocone test. In order to complement the use of such correlations, the application of a method to estimate the soil undrained shear strength, using measures of the excess pore pressure in dissipation tests of piezocone is presented. In cohesive soils, excess pore pressure and undrained shear strength are dependent on the same variables (stress state, stress history, soil stiffness), which allows them to be related by the theoretical cavity expansion-critical state framework. This paper mentions the mathematical formulation that supports the theoretical framework used, its relationship with the Nkt and NΔu factors and their estimation in a case studied. The results obtained are consistent within the dispersion found in the international literature and encourage the use of the method in engineering practice.

Modeling the Undrained Shear Strength with Soil Index Properties for Niger Delta Soft Clays

The aim of this study was to model the Undrained Shear Strength (USS) of soil found in the coastal region of the Niger Delta in Nigeria with some soil properties. The undrained shear strength (USS) is a key parameter needed for most geotechnical/structural designs. Accurate determination of the USS of soft clays can be challenging to obtain in the laboratory due to the difficulty in remoulding the clay to its in-situ conditions before testing and more accurate test such as Cone Penetration test (CPT) can be quite expensive. This study was carried out at Escravos site which is located in Delta state, Nigeria. Three Boreholes were drilled and soil samples were collected at 0.75 m intervals up to a depth of 45 m. Laboratory tests were used to obtain the moisture content, bulk unit weight, liquid and plastic limit, while CPT was used in obtaining the undrained shear strength. Classification of the soil samples was done by adopting the Unified Soil Classification System and various models relating the USS with the soil properties were developed. The result showed that most of the soils at Escravos site were predominately inorganic clay of high plasticity which are problematic due to the expansion and shrinking nature of this type of soil. The model developed showed that the soil properties that gave the best fit with the USS were the moisture content and effective stress of the soil. The coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) obtained for this model were 0.805 and 6.37 KN/m2, respectively.

Centrifuge experiment on the penetration test for evaluating undrained strength of deep-sea surface soils

Rapid advances in deep-sea mining engineering have created an urgent need for the accurate evaluation of the undrained strength of marine soils,especially surface soils.Significant achievements have been made using full-flow penetration penetrometers to evaluate marine soil strength in the deep penetration;however,a method considering the effect of ambient water on the surface penetration needs to be established urgently.In this study,penetrometers with multiple probes were developed and used to conduct centrifuge experiments on South China Sea soil and kaolin clay.First,the forces on the probes throughout the penetration process were systematically analyzed and quantified.Second,the spatial influence zone was determined by capturing the resistance changes and sample crack development,and the penetration depth for a sample to reach a stable failure mode was given.Third,the vane shear strength was used to invert the penetration resistance factor of the ball and determine the range of the penetration resistance factor values.Furthermore,a methodology to determine the penetration resistance factors for surface marine soils was established.Finally,the effect of the water cavity above various probes in the surface penetration was used to formulate an internal mechanism for variations in the penetration resistance factor.

Estimation of residual shear strength ratios of liquefied soil deposits from shear wave velocity

For sites susceptible to liquefaction induced lateral spreading during a probable earthquake, geotechnical engineers often need to know the undrained residual shear strength of the liquefied soil deposit to estimate lateral spreading displacements, and the forces acting on the piles from the liquefied soils in order to perform post liquefaction stability analyses. The most commonly used methods to estimate the undrained residual shear strength （Su~） of liquefied sand deposits are based on the correlations determined from liquefaction induced flow failures with SPT and CPT data. In this study, 44 lateral spread case histories are analyzed and a new relationship based on only lateral spread case histories is recommended, which estimates the residual shear strength ratio of the liquefiable soil layer from normalized shear wave velocity. The new proposed method is also utilized to estimate the residual lateral displacement of an example bridge problem in an area susceptible to lateral spreading in order to provide insight into how the proposed relationship can be used in geotechnical engineering practice.

Low secondary compressibility and shear strength of Shanghai Clay

In order to investigate the compressibility, particularly the secondary compression behaviour, soil structure and undrained shear strength of Shanghai Clay, a series of one-dimensional consolidation tests （some up to 70 d） and undrained triaxial tests on high-quality intact and reconstituted soil specimens were carried out. Shanghai Clay is a lightly overconsolidated soil （OCR=1.2-1.3） with true cohesion or bonding. Due to the influence of soil structures, the secondary compression index Ca varies significantly with consolidation stress and the maximum value of C~ occurs in the vicinity of preconsolidation stress. Measured coefficients of secondary compression generally fall in the range of 0.2%-0.8% based on which Shanghai Clay can be classified as a soil with low to medium secondary compressibility. The effect of soil structures on the compressibility of Shanghai Clay is found to reduce with an increase in depth. Soil structure has an important influence on initial soil stiffness, but does not appear to affect undrained shear strength significantly. Undrained shear strengths of intact Shanghai Clay from compression tests are approximately 20% higher than those from extension tests.

Estimation of Axial Pile Bearing Capacity According to Shear Strength Parameters of Soil

At pesent, it is very popular to estimate pile bearing capacity by use of empirical formula and physical indexes of soil provided in the design codes for civil construction in China. This paper attempts to apply mechanical indexes of soil and semi-empirical formulas, which are based on soil mechanical theories and were summarized and presented by Meyerhof in 1976, to calculate the axial pile bearing capacity. Loading test results of 24 single piles in Tianjin area have been collected and compared with the proposed calulation approach.

Assessment of clay stiffness and strength parameters using index properties

A new approach is developed to determine the shear wave velocity in saturated soft to firm clays using measurements of the liquid limit, plastic limit, and natural water content with depth. The shear wave velocity is assessed using the site-specific variation of the natural water content with the effective mean stress. Subsequently, an iterative process is envisaged to obtain the clay stiffness and strength parameters.The at-rest earth pressure coefficient, as well as bearing capacity factor and rigidity index related to the cone penetration test, is also acquired from the analyses. Comparisons are presented between the measured clay parameters and the results of corresponding analyses in five different case studies. It is demonstrated that the presented approach can provide acceptable estimates of saturated clay stiffness and strength parameters. One of the main privileges of the presented methodology is the site-specific procedure developed based on the relationships between clay strength and stiffness parameters, rather than adopting direct correlations. Despite of the utilized iterative processes, the presented approach can be easily implemented using a simple spreadsheet, benefiting both geotechnical researchers and practitioners.

超固结黏土不排水剪切的屈服与临界状态

以研究超固结黏土的屈服与临界状态为目的,通过GDS三轴剪切试验仪(GDS triaxial shear testing apparatus)开展了一系列不同超固结状态的黏土不排水剪切试验。为对黏土的应力路径进行分析,选取了能描述超固结状态不同时土的屈服特性的ALPHA(α)模型。分析了黏土的偏应力/孔压-应变曲线变化趋势,并确定了孔压达到峰值时土体为破坏状态。根据应力破坏点拟合出临界状态线,提出了针对不同超固结比的不排水抗剪强度的计算公式。试验结果表明:不排水剪切试验中,前期固结压力相同时,超固结比越小,抗剪强度越高,但是屈服强度并非随超固结比的降低而单调递增变化;超固结比相同时,前期固结压力越大,抗剪强度越高,屈服强度也越高;正常固结和轻超固结土的破坏应变皆在5%左右,而重超固结土则呈现明显的剪胀现象和脆性破坏,破坏应变小于2.5%;正常固结和轻超固结土的应力路径呈“S”形,重超固结土的应力路径呈不断增长的趋势。根据破坏标准,重超固结土和轻超固结土、正常固结土共用一条临界状态线,不排水抗剪强度计算公式参数较少,易获取,易嵌入本构模型中,应用方便。

聚丙烯纤维增强橡胶砂固结不排水剪切试验

鉴于橡胶砂作为回填材料时承载力低和变形量大的问题,采用加入聚丙烯纤维(PPF)的方法提高橡胶砂的力学性能,提出了聚丙烯纤维增强橡胶砂的半干拌式制备方法,通过48组聚丙烯纤维增强橡胶砂、普通橡胶砂和纯砂试样的固结不排水剪切试验,探究了聚丙烯纤维掺量和橡胶掺量等参数对聚丙烯纤维增强橡胶砂主要力学变形特征参数的影响.结果表明:聚丙烯纤维对橡胶砂弹性模量的影响较小;聚丙烯纤维增强橡胶砂具有先剪缩后剪胀破坏的特征,其偏应力与轴向应变关系为应变硬化型;聚丙烯纤维可有效提高橡胶砂的内摩擦角和黏聚力;聚丙烯纤维增强橡胶砂破坏偏应力的提升效果十分显著,最高可提高3倍.

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。

新型土工织物处治膨胀土水分迁移试验研究

膨胀土是一种亲水性较强的特殊土,遇水易发生胀缩变形,导致修建在膨胀土地区的路基常产生路面开裂、沉降、翻浆等病害。新型土工织物是一种具有排水与加筋功能的新型土工材料,除像传统排水结构一样能排“明水”外,其毛细织物沟槽产生的毛细力还能排毛细水,在非饱和环境下排水效率高。为研究新型土工织物对膨胀土水分迁移的影响规律,通过在膨胀土中设置一层土工织物,开展毛细水上升、降雨入渗条件下素土(素土样)、新型土工织物排水(排水样)及不排水(阻隔样)3种工况的一维土柱对比试验,探索新型土工织物对膨胀土的含水率(体积、质量)、膨胀率及不排水强度的影响规律。研究结果表明:膨胀土与新型土工织物形成的阻隔系统使得更多的水分集聚在土工织物周围,产生了类似“锅盖”的效应;在膨胀土中铺设新型土工织物,能延缓水分迁移速率和抑制胀缩变形,膨胀土的不排水抗剪强度发生了显著变化;阻隔样中新型土工织物将水分吸附、阻滞在其周围不能排出,易造成病害,排水样中试样内外湿度差产生的吸力差将“抽吸”到新型土工织物毛细沟槽中的水分横向导出;为充分发挥新型土工织物在非饱和环境下的排水效率,需将其延伸至土样外。研究成果可为膨胀土路基设计、施工及病害处治提供参考。

饱和黏土不排水抗剪强度特性研究

饱和黏土的不排水抗剪强度(su)是海洋工程地基稳定性验算必备的参数,该参数的准确性对工程安全至关重要。室内等向固结三轴压缩试验(CIUC)是工程中获得su最普遍的方法。随着对海洋土工程特性认识的加深及国际设计方法的引入,su的室内测试方法种类增加,但不同方法测得的su存在差异。针对天津滨海黏土开展不同固结方式、剪切方式以及不同超固结比(OCR)条件下的三轴压缩、三轴拉伸和静单剪(DSS)试验,分析比较了不同试验方法得到的su,并揭示了导致同一种土体su产生差异的原因,建立起不同试验方法测得的su之间的定量关系。在此基础上结合修正剑桥模型提出了可以预测不同试验方法su的计算公式。

海上风电筒型基础沉贯阻力计算黏土强度研究

沉贯阻力的准确预测对筒型基础成功应用至关重要。单剪(DSS)试验测得的不排水抗剪强度su是沉贯安装设计中的关键土参数,DSS试验考虑了K0固结下土体的应力状态、主应力旋转以及实际工程平面应变状态,与吸力式筒型安装过程中土体的受荷状态相符。研究总结了黏土中筒型基础沉贯阻力计算方法,并分析了各种方法的特点。针对黏土强度取值问题,采用单剪仪对滨海土进行等体积单剪试验,探讨了干密度ρd、法向应力σv'及超固结比(OCR)对su的影响,并分析了su差异产生的原因。最后,提出了基于临界状态理论、强度指标、SHANSEP的3种预测su的计算方法。研究成果为黏土中筒型基础沉贯阻力计算时土体参数取值提供了依据。