Basic parameters governing the behaviour of cement-treated clays

Although extensive research has been conducted on the mechanical behaviour of Portland cement-treated soft clays, there has been less emphasis on the correlation of the observed behaviour with clay mineralogy. In this study, experimental results from the authors have been combined with the data found in the literature to investigate the effect of parameters such as curing time, cement content, moisture content, liquidity index, and mineralogy on the mechanical properties of cement-treated clays. The findings show that undrained shear strength and sensitivity of cemented clays still continue to increase after relatively long curing times; expressions are proposed to predict the strength and sensitivity with time. This parametric study also indicates the relative importance of the activity of the soil, as well as the water–cement ratio, to the mechanical properties of cementitious admixtures. Two new empirical parameters are introduced herein. Based on the results of unconfined compression, undrained triaxial, and oedometer tests on cement-enhanced clays, expressions that use these parameters to predict undrained shear strength, yield stress, and the slope of the compression line are proposed. The observed variations in the mechanical behaviour with respect to mineralogy and the important effect of curing time are explained in terms of the pozzolanic reactions. The possible limitations of applying Abrams׳ law to cement–admixed clays are also discussed.     

Effect of initial water content on undrained shear strength of K0 consolidated clay

This study investigates the effect of initial water content on the pore pressure response and undrained shear behavior of K₀ consolidated reconstituted clay. A series of K₀ consolidated undrained triaxial compression tests were conducted on reconstituted Lianyungang clay. Results were compared to those obtained by isotropic consolidated undrained triaxial tests. The testing results showed that the K₀ consolidated undrained strength envelope of reconstituted soil content is a straight line passing through the origin regardless of the initial water content. The initial water content would affect the undrained strength of K₀ consolidated clay as decreased normalized undrained shear strength was observed with clay at higher initial water content. The slope C of normalized pore pressure and stress ratio is affected by the consolidation method, where C is found to be a soil constant for K₀ consolidated clay and the value would be higher with clay under K₀ consolidation. The pore pressure increases with increasing initial water content at a certain axial strain under given consolidation pressure, and the difference in excess pore pressure increases with the increasing consolidation pressure. Pore pressure coefficient at failure (A_f) increases as the initial water content increases, where a trendline can be well fitted between the pore coefficient at failure and the ratio of initial water content to the liquid limit of clay. The undrained strength indexes, i.e., effective cohesion and effective internal friction angle have decreasing tendency with increasing initial water content; however, changes in the total strength indexes of soil in this study are insignificant with varying initial water content.     

Undrained Shear Strength of Cement-Treated Soils

In order to evaluate the effects of cementation on the mechanical properties of cement-treated soil, a series of isotropic consolidation and undrained triaxial compression shear tests were performed for cement-treated specimens of Ariake clay, Akita sand, Rokko Masado and Toyoura sand. This paper evaluates factors affecting the shear strength of these cement-treated soils. The following conclusions are obtained: 1) Cement-treated soil has a normally consolidated line in e-ln p' space which depends on the mixing cement content. The consolidation yield stress, p'_y, of cement-treated soil increases with increasing cement content and initial specimen density. 2) Changes in cohesive strength due to cement-treatment can be represented by a tensile effective stress, p'_r. Strength properties can then be normalized by the augmented consolidation stress, (p'_c+p'_r). 3) The shear strength properties of quasi-overconsolidated clay can be represented by the yield stress ratio, R=(p'_y+p'_r)/(p'_c+p'_r). 4) The undrained shear strength of cement-treated soils can be represented as a power law relation of the yield stress ratio, R, and the augmented consolidation stress.     

结构性黄土应力应变特征分析

利用GDS三轴试验系统开展了饱和黄土等压/偏压固结不排水常规三轴压缩试验研究(应变控制式),获得了一组结构性黄土应力～应变关系曲线。此类曲线反映了饱和黄土应力～应变关系具有"暂稳态"特征,其后发生强烈应变软化。此外又开展了应力控制式三轴压缩试验研究,试验结果表明,应力增量式剪切能够最大程度地反映土体微观结构特征,应力失控的拐点即为土体结构强度。而应变增量控制的传统剪切模式,在应变速率精确控制的同时,削弱了其结构性。因此,研究在外界荷载作用下的黄土的力学性状,建议开展应力控制式三轴压缩试验,以获得更为合理的结果。     

Forecast formula for strength of cement-treated clay

A simple formula with no fitting parameters is proposed, with which the strength of cement-treated soil can be calculated at any curing time with the known cement-water ratio (the ratio of the cement mass to the mass sum of the water in the soil and the water in the cement paste) of the cement-treated soil and the corresponding strength at a certain short curing time. The results obtained with this formula basically reflect the law whereby the strength of cement-treated soil increases with the curing time. To further facilitate the use of this formula, the conversion relation of the cement-water ratio to the cement-mixed ratio and the water-cement ratio of the cement paste were presented. In such a way, the strength of cement-treated soil can be predicted directly using the common proportioning parameter of the cement-treated soil. In addition, with the known long-term (within 180 d) target strength of the cement-treated soil, its short-term strength can also be speculated through this formula, on whose basis a formulation design for cement-treated soil may be conducted as well.     

饱和软黏土固结过程中的不排水抗剪强度特性

集成大直径固结仪和微型十字板剪切仪的功能,开发和研制了饱和软黏土固结过程中可以随时开展剪切试验的系统装置,考虑超孔压随时间和空间变化的不均匀性,在微型十字板剪切仪板头处的空心轴杆底端配置微型孔压计,并在大直径固结仪中配置微型土压力计,使其具备自动实时监测在十字板剪切试验测点处有效应力变化的功能。利用该系统装置,开展了饱和软黏土在不同固结压力作用下,固结过程中不同时点的十字板剪切试验,实时监测了固结过程中的变形和孔压变化过程,得到了十字板剪切试验测点处的有效应力和不排水抗剪强度,分析了固结过程中不排水抗剪强度和有效应力之间的相关关系。结果表明,在不同固结压力作用下,固结完成后的不排水抗剪强度与有效应力呈现出传统的线性关系,但是,在某一固结压力作用下,固结过程中的不排水抗剪强度却随有效应力的增长呈非线性增长,而且,在不同固结压力作用下,固结压力越大,固结过程中达到相同的有效应力时所对应的不排水抗剪强度越大。固结过程中的不排水抗剪强度并不仅仅取决于剪前固结有效应力,还与剪前孔隙比相关,孔压消散速率小于变形速率是导致固结初期、剪前固结有效应力较小时,不排水抗剪强度较快增长的主要原因。     

深圳海相沉积软土蠕变特性的试验研究

为探求近代海洋沉积相软土的蠕变规律,对深圳海相沉积软土开展一维压缩蠕变试验和不同固结压力作用下的三轴固结不排水蠕变试验。试验表明,近海沉积相软土蠕变的非线性特性显著,非线性特征通过应力水平的增大而逐渐显露;由于一维压缩蠕变试验中环刀的侧限作用,试样没有发生快速蠕变破坏现象;次固结系数随着固结压力的增大会出现峰值,且峰值...     

长期往复荷载作用下近海饱和软黏土强度和刚度的弱化特性

长期往复荷载作用下,饱和软黏土强度和刚度的衰减是近海桩基础设计必须考虑的,利用带弯曲元的循环三轴仪对原状饱和软黏土进行了一系列等向固结和非等向固结条件下不排水单调和循环加载三轴试验,并在循环加载过程中通过弯曲元测试土体剪切波速。试验结果表明,在相同的固结条件下,随循环次数的增加和动应力比的提高土体的强度和刚度衰减显著;在相同动应力比作用下较小的有效固结应力和偏压固结减缓了土体刚度的弱化。已有的相对偏应力水平参数不能反映不同固结条件下近海饱和软黏土强度和刚度循环弱化特性,为此引入了动偏应力水平参数,考虑了有效固结应力、固结静偏应力、动偏应力的相互影响,利用动偏应力水平对饱和软黏土的强度和刚度循环弱化特性进行描述。     

低应力条件下海洋粉土的不排水强度特性及其在海底浅层滑坡分析中的应用

 针对浅层滑坡等海底地质灾害,设计并实施一系列的十字板试验和三轴试验,对低应力条件下典型海洋粉土的不排水强度特性进行研究探讨。试验结果显示：固结度对粉土的十字板强度有明显影响,十字板强度随着超孔隙水压力的升高而降低。剪切应变速率对粉土的固结不排水三轴强度影响很小,而超固结比和剪切围压则影响较大;三轴试验中各个试样都能够达到临界状态,临界状态强度随着超固结比和剪切围压的增大而增大。分析波浪作用下海床土剪切滑动的渐进特性,指出临界状态是滑坡发生时滑带土所能达到的最终状态。采用平均有效应力,对十字板强度和三轴临界状态强度进行归一化处理,两种强度显示较好的一致性,得到低应力条件下海洋粉土的临界强度线。最后,应用所得的临界强度线,对风暴潮作用下黄河水下三角洲粉土海床浅层滑坡及“复活”进行很好地分析和解释。     

天津滨海软土不同应力路径下抗剪强度对比试验研究

现有基坑支护设计参数试验条件与实际不符。选取天津滨海新区海相软土为研究对象,进行三轴固结不排水试验、三轴不固结不排水试验和减p路径试验并对比分析了几种试验条件下土的强度参数。得到:滨海软土在不同应力路径下的强度与初期固结方式有关。减p路径对总应力状态下抗剪强度有影响,但对有效应力状态下抗剪强度基本无影响。在滨海软土基坑支护设计中,选用CU试验参数进行计算,设计偏于安全。     

昆明泥炭土工程性质原生各向异性试验研究

基于一系列室内试验结果,系统分析了昆明泥炭土原生各向异性对固结变形、抗剪强度和渗透性质的影响,并从分析泥炭土特殊组分入手,探讨了其工程性质原生各向异性的产生机制。试验结果表明:高分解度泥炭土水平向与垂直向表现出来的变形特性差异不大,θ=45°方向土样在固结压力p较小时压缩模量E_s及固结系数C_v较小,但当p增大到一定程度时,3个方向的变形特性趋于一致;分解度低的泥炭土更多呈现变形各向同性。抗剪强度方面,不含或含微量残余纤维的高分解度泥炭土抗剪强度原生各向异性程度较弱,主要体现在粘聚力上,内摩擦角的差异较小,且抗剪强度各向异性程度随着腐殖质含量增多而减弱;残余纤维含量多对泥炭土的强度各向异性能起增强作用。渗透特性方面,渗透系数k随切样角度θ增大而增大,即泥炭土水平方向的渗透性比垂直方向的强。泥炭土的各向异性机制复杂,在导致各向异性效应方面,矿质土颗粒、腐殖质及残余纤维产生了不同的效果。     

主应力方向循环变化对饱和松砂不排水动力特性的影响

利用新研制的土工静力-动力液压三轴-扭转多功能剪切仪进行了主应力轴循环变化的多种模式竖向和扭转双向耦合循环剪切及普通循环扭剪试验。针对福建标准砂, 在均等固结条件下着重研究了振动过程中主应力方向的不同变化模式对饱和松砂不排水循环特性的影响。试验研究结果表明: 振动过程中主应力方向的变化方式对饱和砂土不排水动强度具有显著的影响, 在所采用的五种类型循环剪切应力路径中, 主应力方向连续旋转条件下的动强度最低。进一步的研究发现: 对于初始均等固结条件,分别采用初始平均有效固结压力和循环破坏次数归一化的循环孔隙水压力比与循环次数比之间的关系与振动过程中主应力方向变化方式无关, 这种归一化循环孔隙水压力比随广义剪应变的变化规律及累积广义剪应变与循环次数比之间关系均与振动过程中主应力方向变化方式无关。     

不同固结路径温州黏土固有不排水强度性状试验研究

为研究初始条件和应力状态对重塑黏土固有不排水强度性状的影响,采用应力路径三轴仪对室内制备的温州黏土进行一系列不同固结路径下的三轴固结不排水剪切试验。通过室内试验研究探讨温州黏土不同固结路径下不同平均有效应力固结后三轴不排水剪切应力应变关系和不排水强度特性;引入不同平均有效应力p’下的孔隙指数I_v与不排水强度比R^*_su=S_u/ p’,分析不同固结路径下不排水强度S_u的变化规律,并与Chandler提出的固有强度线IS_uL进行比较分析。结果表明：相同平均有效应力p’下,不同固结路径下不排水剪切强度S_u和不排水强度比R^*_su=S_u/ p’随固结路径的变化而变化;当不排水强度比S_u/ p’=0.33时,孔隙指数I_v与固结不排水强度S_u之间的关系与Chandler的固有强度线IS_uL一致。     

Effect of principal stress direction during consolidation on the shear strength properties of natural granite residual soil

In numerous real-life civil engineering practices, including multi-stage embankment construction and foundation pit excavation, the direction of the major principal stress σ₁ becomes rotated. In these cases, the granite residual soil may be subjected to inclined consolidation (IC) with σ₁ being inclined, because of the relatively high permeability as a result of the fissures formed during weathering. While the effect of the σ₁ direction during the shear on the strength of granite residual soil (inherent strength anisotropy) has been primarily established, little is known about how the soil strength is affected by the direction of σ₁ during consolidation. This paper presents the effects of IC on the shear strength properties of natural granite residual soil through undrained hollow cylinder torsional shear tests. The effect of the soil structure is also considered by testing remolded soil specimens. The results reveal that while IC changes neither the shape of stress–strain curve nor the specimen features at failure, it leads to an increased ultimate shear strength in terms of both the undrained strength and stress ratio, with the remolded soil being more affected. The presented data provide new insights into the understanding of residual soil strength behaviors.     

High-Strengthening of Cement-Treated Clay by Mechanical Dehydration

A technique called the cement-mixing and mechanical dehydration method (CMD) as one of recycling techniques for soft clay slurry is developed. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CMD for increasing the strength of soft clay, a series of unconfined compression tests and several durability tests were performed together with the literature review of unconfined compressive strength in cement-treated soils. Moreover, a series of constant strain rate consolidation tests were also performed to evaluate the effects of cement content and dehydration speed on the permeability of cement-treated clay. The following conclusions are obtained: 1) Literature review and theoretical considerations on the shear strength of cement-treated soils show that an additional treatment for the purpose of increasing the density of cement-treated specimen is effective for increasing the shear strength of cement-treated soil. 2) The mechanical dehydration of soft clay with high pressure is accelerated by cement mixing, where the coefficient of consolidation of cement-treated clay increases as the cement content increases. 3) The high-strength specimen having the unconfined compressive strength of more than 20 MPa can be created from soft clay treated by the CMD with the cement content of over 20% and the dehydration pressure of 20 MPa.     

剪切应变速率对淤泥土力学性状影响试验研究

为研究剪切应变速率对高含水量淤泥土力学性状的影响,运用SPAX-2000真三轴测试系统进行了不同周围压力和不同应变速率的固结不排水剪切试验,分析了淤泥土不排水抗剪强度和孔隙水压力随应变速率的变化规律。试验结果表明,高含水量淤泥具有“应变速率软化”现象。在剪切过程中(应变速率为10^-6/s～10^-2/s),淤泥土不排水抗剪强度随剪切应变速率增长而增长,符合指数变化规律;根据试验数据,建立了经验方程式,并求得其应变速率参数η_e1为0.130 5,η_e2为0.131 9;当变率增长10倍时,淤泥土的不排水抗剪强度增长率为13.12%。不同于强结构性黏土,淤泥土的强度随剪切应变速率呈渐进性变化,未出现明显临界速率转折点。在加载初期,孔隙水压力增长和最大孔隙水压力受应变速率影响较明显;在试验过程中,孔隙水压力变化具有一定波动性和滞后性。     

Triaxial extension and tension tests on lime-cement-improved clay

This paper presents the results of a series of undrained and drained isotropic consolidated triaxial extension, tension and compression laboratory tests on lime-cement-improved very soft clay. The main objective of these tests was to investigate the material strength and stiffness properties for stress conditions similar to those expected on the passive side of excavations where a retaining structure is supported by Deep Mixing columns. The different stress paths to failure were obtained by varying the directions of the major and minor principal stresses in a conventional triaxial test cell. The undrained tests conducted at low consolidation stresses, corresponding to depths of approximately 0–10 m below the ground surface, revealed significant differences in undrained strength depending on the directions of the major and minor principal stresses, indicating anisotropic material behavior. Based on the undrained triaxial test results, the relationship among the undrained strength, the effective consolidation stress and the over-consolidation ratio (OCR) is presented for different stress paths to failure.The experimental data from the drained tests show that a failure surface comprised of a shear failure function based on the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and a tensile failure function based on the tensile strength and the confining stress can be applied for lime-cement-stabilized clay.     

从变形、水量变化和强度三方面验证非饱和土的两个应力状态变量

为了验证非饱和土两个应力状态变量的合理性,对常规非饱和土三轴仪进行了改进,采用3个压力–体积控制器分别控制孔隙水压力、内室压力和外室压力,提高了量测体变和含水率的精度;用加荷器施加轴向荷载,可以方便地控制偏应力。在笔者前期用各向等压试验验证非饱和土的两个应力状态变量的基础上,使用改进的非饱和土三轴仪和重塑Q_3黄土做了两类验证试验:第一类是两组控制净围压、偏应力和吸力的固结不排水剪切试验,第二类是3组控制净围压和吸力的固结排水剪切试验。在第一类试验中,等值改变(增加或减少)总围压、孔隙水压力和孔隙气压力而保持净围压、吸力和偏应力本身不发生变化,发现试验过程中土样的体积变化和含水率变化均非常小,可以忽略不计。第二类试验的每一组包含两个控制净围压和吸力分别相同的固结排水剪切试验,其中一个试样在固结完成后直接进行排水剪切试验,另一个试样在固结完成后等值增加总围压、孔隙水压力和孔隙气压力而保持净围压和吸力本身不发生变化的条件下进行排水剪切试验,发现二者的抗剪强度、剪切过程中的体积变化、排水量和广义剪应变都分别十分接近,可以认为两两相等。研究结果从变形(包括体应变和剪应变)、水量变化和强度3个方面说明描述非饱和土的两个应力状态变量是合理的,进一步夯实了非饱和土力学的应力理论基础,为非饱和土的两个应力状态变量理论提供了牢靠的试验依据。     

上海地区不同强度参数对基坑围护结构变形和内力的影响

为研究上海地区不同强度参数对基坑围护结构变形和内力的影响,在ABAQUS中建立平面竖向弹性地基梁法模型,根据上海地区4种典型基坑概化模型和上海195个工程勘察报告和文献试验数据统计的典型土层强度参数,研究了每类基坑概化模型中不同强度参数对围护结构的最大水土压力、变形(最大位移)、内力(最大剪力、最大弯矩)以及支撑轴力的影响。结果表明:采用三轴固结不排水(CU)有效应力强度参数得到的围护结构变形和内力结果最小; 采用十字板不排水抗剪强度计算的结果相比有效应力强度参数结果无明显规律; 直剪固结快剪和CU总应力强度参数计算得到的结果较为接近,相比于有效应力强度参数结果,最大位移增量约为6%,最大水土压力增量为4%～5%,最大弯矩和剪力增量为7%～8%; 总体来看,目前上海基坑规范采用固结快剪总应力强度参数进行围护结构设计相比采用有效应力强度参数偏安全。     

结构性海积软土强度与变形时效特性试验研究

以天津地区海积软土为研究对象,在不同固结压力、不同固结时间作用下开展分别加载的一维固结试验,对固结后的原状样与相应重塑样进行微型十字板剪切测试,分析海积软土强度和变形特性受固结压力、固结时间及结构性等因素的影响。试验结果表明:天津海积软土在短时间固结作用下,强度和变形时效特性表现明显,且受结构性影响显著;在长时间固结作用下,土的强度和变形随固结压力和固结时间均呈衰减型增长,结构性对其影响程度随时间增长在减小;长期强度与土的初始强度、固结压力和时间有关,随土的初始强度和固结压力的增大而增大,而强度随时间增长达到最大值后又随之降低。