Effects of small and large shear histories on multiple liquefaction properties of sand with initial static shear

It has been reported that soils belonging to slope grounds show different types of liquefaction behavior than those belonging to horizontal grounds. Some research has also revealed that liquefaction histories can significantly affect the shear behavior of sandy soils. However, the combined effects of the slope angle and the magnitude of past shear histories on the liquefaction properties of soils have not been studied comprehensively. Based on this background, several multiple liquefaction tests with initial static shear were conducted on Toyoura sand. In each of these tests, a single specimen was sheared several times up to small or large double amplitude shear strain under a constant volume condition using a specially designed stacked-ring shear apparatus. The behavior of the Toyoura sand observed in these tests was discussed considering various perspectives, such as the increase in relative density, the induced anisotropy, the change in liquefaction resistance, and the shear strain accumulation. The findings of this study established that shear histories of smaller magnitude had relatively less influence on densification and induced anisotropy than those of larger magnitude. Moreover, shear histories of smaller magnitude also resulted in the relatively higher liquefaction resistance of sand specimens against the next cyclic shear, while the opposite trend was observed in the case of specimens subjected to shear histories of larger magnitude. Finally, shear strain accumulated less easily in tests with small shear histories than in those with large shear histories.     

Effects of specimen density and initial cyclic loading history on correlation between shear wave velocity and liquefaction resistance of Toyoura sand

Some previous studies have shown a good correlation between the shear wave velocity, V_s, and the cyclic resistance ratio, CRR. Recently, however, a V_s-based liquefaction assessment method has become an alternative and supplementary method to the conventional N_SPT-based method. It is known that the CRR is influenced not only by the specimen density, but also by the soil fabric. Unfortunately, there are concerns that different combinations of the effects of the specimen density and the soil fabric may generate different relations between V_s and the CRR even if the tested specimens are of the same soil material. In the current study, a series of V_s measurements and undrained cyclic triaxial tests is performed on Toyoura sand specimens with different soil fabrics for three different specimen densities. The fabric of the specimens is varied by applying initial cyclic loading. The results of the V_s measurements indicate that the V_s of the specimen is affected by the initial cyclic loading histories, and the results of the undrained cyclic triaxial tests show that there is a good correlation between V_s and the CRR. However, the correlation varies depending on the specimen density even when the tested material is Toyoura sand only. In other words, the soil-type specific correlation between V_s and the CRR depends on the specimen density. Therefore, the results indicate that both V_s and the specimen density are necessary parameters for an accurate assessment of the CRR.     

Microscopic investigation into liquefaction resistance of pre-sheared sand: Effects of particle shape and initial anisotropy

Liquefaction resistance of sand can be either increased or reduced due to an undrained cyclic pre-shearing depending on the degree of pre-shearing, which hinders a better prediction of liquefaction potential to be established. The mechanism of such changes in liquefaction resistance has been poorly understood. This contribution aims to gain micromechanical insights into pre-shearing effects on liquefaction resistance of sand using discrete element method (DEM) simulations. In particular, effects of particle shape and initial anisotropy on liquefaction resistance are investigated. The simulation results from samples consisting of non-spherical particles with an initial anisotropy can qualitatively capture the mechanical responses observed in equivalent laboratory experiments. The samples which yielded a qualitative agreement with the laboratory results are further analyzed micromechanically, and the relationships between liquefaction resistance and some microscopic parameters before cyclic loading are discussed. Microscopic analyses reveal that mean mechanical coordination number is well correlated with liquefaction resistance, whereas liquefaction resistance is less sensitive to anisotropy in particle orientation induced by pre-shearing.     

Effects of induced anisotropy on multiple liquefaction properties of sand with initial static shear

The multiple liquefaction phenomenon has been attracting the attention of more and more researchers and engineers since the 2010–2011 Christchurch Earthquakes and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. However, little has been known about the multiple liquefaction properties of sloped grounds. In this study, therefore, multiple liquefaction tests that consider the initial static shear stress, which have never been conducted before, were carried out with a special designed apparatus, the stacked-ring shear apparatus. A series of multiple liquefaction tests revealed that induced anisotropy, which is weak against the loading opposite to the direction of the initial static shear stress, was produced by the liquefaction of a sloped ground. As a result, a significant decrease in the liquefaction resistance during the next cyclic of shearing occurred. The indicators which influenced the magnitude of anisotropy were also discussed from the perspective of the reconsolidation procedures, the magnitude of initial static shear stress, and the type of ending of the previous liquefaction stage. In addition, it turned out that in the multiple liquefaction test with a larger initial static shear stress, the re-liquefaction resistance was higher because the shear stress opposite to the direction of the initial static shear stress, causing large negative dilatancy due to anisotropy, was smaller in that test.     

Direct strain evaluation method for laboratory-based pillar performance

Pillar stability is one of important aspects for underground mines.Generally,the stability of the pillars is evaluated empirically based on case studies and site-specific rock mass conditions in mines.Nevertheless the empirical approach applicability can sometimes be constrained.The numerical-based approaches are potentially more useful as parametric studies can be undertaken and,if calibrated,can be more representative.Both empirical and numerical approaches are dependent on the strength evaluation of the pillars while the strain developing in the pillars is seldom taken into consideration.In this paper,gypsum and sandstone samples were tested in laboratory with different width-to-height ratios(W/H)to adapt the strain evaluation method to the laboratory-based pillars.A correlation was then developed between the strain and the width-to-height ratio for pillar monitoring purposes.Based on the results,a flowchart was created to conduct back analysis for the existing pillars to evaluate their stability and design new pillars,considering the strain analysis of the existing pillars with the W/H ratios modelled.     

Influence of inherent anisotropy on the seismic behavior of liquefiable sandy level ground

Inherent anisotropy is a crucial aspect to consider for an improved understanding of the strength and deformation characteristics of granular materials. It has been the focus of intense investigation since the mid-1960s. However, inherent anisotropy’s influence on ground seismic responses, such as liquefaction, has not been extensively studied. In this paper, inherent anisotropy’s influence on ground seismic responses is examined through a series of dynamic centrifuge model tests on liquefiable level sand deposits. During the model setup, five different deposition angles (0, 30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees) were achieved using a specially designed rigid container. The models were exposed to tapered sinusoidal input accelerations and the recorded results were fully investigated. It was found that deposition angle-caused inherent anisotropy significantly influenced the excess pore pressure responses during the shaking and dissipation phases. The amount of excess pore pressure build-up and the high excess pore pressure duration increased with the deposition angle, while the dissipation rate decreased as the deposition angle increased. The inherent anisotropy also influenced liquefaction-induced ground settlement, with volumetric strain increasing along with the deposition angle. With respect to response acceleration, inherent anisotropy’s effects depended on the amount of excess pore pressure build-up (i.e., degree of liquefaction). In view of these results, it was concluded that a sandy ground, deposited at a higher angle (i.e., closer to 90 degrees), is more susceptible to liquefaction and that inherent anisotropy’s influence should be considered when evaluating the liquefaction potential and performing effective stress analyses.     

Deformation and cyclic resistance of sand in large-strain undrained torsional shear tests with initial static shear stress

This paper presents the findings from an experimental study focusing on the undrained cyclic behavior of sand in the presence of initial static shear stress. A series of undrained cyclic torsional shear tests was performed on saturated air-pluviated Toyoura sand specimens up to single amplitude shear strain ($\gamma$_SA) exceeding 50%. Two types of cyclic loading conditions, namely, stress reversal (SR) and stress non-reversal (SNR), were employed by changing the amplitude of the combined initial static shear and cyclic shear stresses. The tests covered a broad range of initial states in terms of relative density (Dr = 20–74%) and the initial static shear stress ratio (α = 0–0.30). The following five distinct modes of deformation were identified from the tests based on the density state, the transient undrained peak shear stress, and the combined cyclic and static shear stresses: 1) static liquefaction, 2) cyclic liquefaction, 3) cyclic mobility, 4) shear deformation failure, and 5) limited deformation. Of these, cyclic liquefaction and static liquefaction are the most critical. They occur in very loose sand (D_r ≤ 24%) under SR and SNR, respectively, and are characterized by abrupt flow-type shear deformation. Cyclic mobility occurs under SR in loose to dense sand with D_r ≥ 24%. Contrarily, shear deformation failure typically occurs under SNR in sand with 24 < D_r < 65%, and limited deformation may take place in dense sand with D_r ≥ 65%. In this paper, a stress-void ratio-based predictive method is proposed to identify the likely mode of deformation/failure in sand under undrained shear loading with static shear. Furthermore, the cyclic resistance is evaluated at three different levels of $\gamma$_SA (i.e., small, $\gamma$_SA = 3%; moderate, $\gamma$_SA = 7.5%; and large, $\gamma$_SA = 20%). The results show that, independent of the density state, the cyclic resistance continuously decreases with an increase in α at the small $\gamma$_SA level, while it first decreases and then increases for both loose and dense sand at the moderate and large $\gamma$_SA levels.     

Characterizing the effects of fines on the liquefaction resistance of silty sands

Recent earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan indicate that evaluating the liquefaction potential of silty sands remains an area of difficulty and uncertainty in geotechnical engineering. This paper presents a comprehensive experimental study along with analysis and interpretation in the framework of critical state soil mechanics, with the aim to address the complicated effects of fines. Two series of sand-silt mixtures, formed by mixing two different base sands with the same type of non-plastic silt, were tested under a range of packing density, confining pressure and silt content, and a unified correlation was established between the cyclic resistance and the state parameter that collectively accounts for the effect of packing density and confining pressure. The proposed correlation is independent of packing density, confining pressure, fines content and base sand, and allows prediction of the cyclic resistance of silty sands under different states. Furthermore, the mechanism of the fines-content induced reduction of cyclic resistance and the mechanism of the base-sand effect observed from the tests are elaborated in the sound theoretical context. The present study suggests that the critical state soil mechanics is a rational and appealing framework for liquefaction analysis of both clean and silty sands.     

Extended equivalent linear model (X-ELM) to assess liquefaction triggering: Application to the City of Urayasu during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

This paper proposes a hybrid iterative approach to evaluating the liquefaction potential and settlements when liquefaction is not triggered for a saturated sand deposit subjected to seismic motion. The proposed method is a combination of an equivalent linear dynamic analysis and an empirical pore pressure build-up model. The two concepts are combined to account for the increase of pore-water pressure in the dynamic response. This extended equivalent linear model, or X-ELM, introduces a parameter $\chi$ identified by means of an extensive set of computations and observations. The approach has been validated in the case of Urayasu City during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The X-ELM enables the assessment of the triggering of the soil liquefaction of 12 representative soil profiles, namely, four profiles representing non-liquefied grounds in the old town of Urayasu and eight profiles representing the liquefaction-prone grounds in the reclaimed area of the city. The X-ELM computed areas of triggered liquefaction or non-liquefaction are found to be in good agreement with qualitative observations and in-situ measured responses.     

“振冲碎石桩＋强夯”彻底消除砂层液化的施工技术

本文结合福建泰山石化仓储项目石油化工品罐区工程,主要介绍采用“振冲碎石桩＋强夯”的技术措施对地基进行处理,在提高地基承载力的同时,重点解决砂层在地震作用下的液化问题。     

Using a state-dependent constitutive model in strain wedge method for laterally loaded piles in sand

Strain Wedge Method is an effective technique for the analysis of laterally loaded flexible piles in sand. In this method, the three-dimensional soil-pile interaction problem is reduced to the problem of one-dimensional beam on elastic foundation. Various modifications have been applied to the conventional Strain Wedge Method to promote its predictive capacity for different problems. Nevertheless, in the existing Strain Wedge Methods, because the impact of soil state on the stress-strain-strength behavior of granular soils is ignored, multiple calibrations for a wide domain of soil densities are required. To overcome this drawback, a simple but versatile state-dependent constitutive model is implemented in the Strain Wedge Method. It is shown that the modified Strain Wedge Method can effectively simulate the response of laterally loaded model piles embedded in sands of loose, medium, and dense states using a single set of parameters.     

Geo-mechanical behavior of clay soils stabilized at ambient temperature with fly-ash geopolymer-incorporated granulated slag

Geopolymer is a cementitious material that can replace ordinary Portland cement in several geotechnical engineering applications, such as soil stabilization, with the advantages of much lower harmful emissions and energy consumption. This paper presents a rigorous evaluation of the geo-mechanical behavior of different types of clay soils treated with geopolymer, including the influence of soil characteristics and mineralogy. Two natural clay soils in addition to a commercially available kaolin clay were used for this investigation. Laboratory experiments were performed including unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and consolidated undrained (CU) triaxial compression tests under different confining pressures. The UCS and triaxial tests indicated that the addition of geopolymer considerably increased the yield stress and initial stiffness of all examined clays. With the increase of geopolymer content, the stress–strain behavior of treated clays was found to develop progressively from ductile response into a post-peak brittle fashion. The CU tests also demonstrated that the addition of geopolymer changed the initial characteristics of remolded clays from quasi-over-consolidated to heavily over-consolidated, rendering high yield surface and more effective shear strength parameters (i.e., cohesion and friction angle). Moreover, although the overall qualitative stress–strain and stress path responses of the clays were similar, significant quantitative differences were observed, particularly in terms of the attainable yield strength, stiffness, and shear strength. These differences can be attributed mainly to the heterogeneity associated with the soil mineralogy and the corresponding differences in the interaction between the clay/non-clay minerals and geopolymer.     

A novel 2D-3D conversion method for calculating maximum strain of geosynthetic reinforcement in pile-supported embankments

For design of a geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported (GRPS) embankment over soft soil, the methods used to calculate strains in geosynthetic reinforcement at a vertical stress were mostly developed based on a plane-strain or two-dimensional (2-D) condition or a strip between two pile caps. These 2-D-based methods cannot accurately predict the strain of geosynthetic reinforcement under a three-dimensional (3-D) condition. In this paper, a series of numerical models were established to compare the maximum strains and vertical deflections (also called sags) of geosynthetic reinforcement under the 2-D and 3-D conditions, considering the following influence factors: soil support, cap shape and pattern, and a cushion layer between cap and reinforcement. The numerical results show that the maximum strain in the geosynthetic reinforcement decreased with an increase of the modulus of subgrade reaction. The 2-D model underestimated the maximum strain and sag in the geosynthetic reinforcement as compared with the 3-D model. The cap shape and pattern had significant influences on the maximum strains in the geosynthetic reinforcements. An empirical method involving the geometric factors of cap shape and pattern, and the soil support was developed to convert the calculated strains of geosynthetic reinforcement in piled embankments under the 2-D condition to those under the 3-D condition and verified through a comparison with the results in the literature.     

Behaviour of model footing on bamboo mat-reinforced sand beds

Soil reinforcement is one of the most common and cost-effective methods among ground-improvement techniques. Recently, sustainable and natural materials for soil reinforcement have attracted the attention of soil engineers. Bamboo is considered to be one of the most effective materials for soil reinforcement due to it’s excellent mechanical and engineering properties. This paper discusses the results of laboratory model studies conducted on sand beds reinforced with traditionally woven bamboo mats. An improvement in the bearing capacity of about 2.5 times was seen when the reinforcement was placed at the optimum depth. The effective spacing of the reinforcement between two layers of bamboo mats was found to be equal to the optimum depth value, i.e., 0.3B. An improvement in the bearing capacity of about seven times was observed when four layers of reinforcement were placed at a spacing of 0.3B. The results obtained from the present study reveal the excellent capacity of bamboo mat for soil reinforcement.     

Modelling the degradation of penetration resistance during cyclic T-bar tests in a Gulf of Mexico clay

Installation and repetitive movement during the operation of a pipeline causes remolding and softening of the surrounding soil. Similar effects can occur around foundations during their operating life. The degradation of the undrained shear strength of soft clays near the seabed is a critical component of the design of subsea facilities, including pipelines and shallow foundations. This paper presents a two-stage strength degradation model based on the framework developed by Hodder et al. (2010) for repeated vertical movement of a cylindrical object (T-bar penetrometer) embedded in a soft Gulf of Mexico (GOM) clay. The model is compared with the behavior observed in four box cores sampled in the Gulf of Mexico, in which 8 cyclic T-bar penetrometer tests were performed. By varying the parameters in the strength degradation model, its applicability for GOM clay is examined, and the effects of the location of cycling within the box core and parameter variability between box cores relative to the average parameters are explored.     

电阻应变片粘贴技巧

将电测法中两种主要设备电阻应变片和电阻应变仪作了简要阐述,重点对应变片的粘贴步骤及技巧进行了详细说明,最后总结了电阻应变片粘贴操作过程中应注意的问题,以保证应变片的粘贴质量。     

Reliability-based design of ground improvement for liquefaction mitigation

The main purpose of this research is to develop a calculation method to assess the probability of liquefaction and a reliability-based design method to mitigate the liquefaction in sandy grounds. The probability of liquefaction is evaluated with the proposed model by considering the spatial variability of the soil parameters and the statistical characteristics related to the occurrence of earthquakes. The liquefaction resistance is calculated from the SPT N-value, the median grain size, D₅₀, and the fines content, F_c, through the empirical relationship [Iwasaki T, Arakawa A, Tokida, K. Simplified procedure for assessing soil liquefaction during earthquakes. Proc Soil Dyn Earthquake Eng Conf 1982;925–39]. The statistical models for these three soil parameters are determined with the maximum likelihood method. The occurrences of earthquakes is modeled based on the maximum annual acceleration found in historical earthquake data records. In this study, the probability of liquefaction is evaluated multi-dimensionally using the cokriging method. Finally, the reliability-based design method is discussed in order to determine the optimum design for ground improvement using sand compaction piles (SCP) based on the calculated probability of liquefaction.     

Effects of fines on the cyclic liquefaction behaviour in unsaturated,well-graded materials

The liquefaction of cargoes of metallic ores during maritime transportation is believed to have caused a number of ships to capsize during the past 30 years. To minimise the risk of liquefaction, shipping standards specify a transportable moisture limit (TML), which is the maximum moisture content for ore cargoes to be loaded onto a ship. However, the mechanics leading to the liquefaction of these cargoes is not well understood. This study uses an unsaturated soil mechanics perspective to understand the cyclic liquefaction behaviour of partially saturated materials, similar in grading to iron ore fines, a metallic ore that is known to liquefy during shipping transportation. Iron ore fines are transported at relatively low densities and have variable gradings containing a wide range of particle sizes and fines contents. Therefore, the effects of the degree of saturation and the fines content on the cyclic liquefaction behaviour of well-graded materials have been investigated by performing unsaturated, compression-only cyclic triaxial tests on samples prepared with four different gradings containing particle sizes from 9.5 mm to 2 μm with fines (<75 μm) contents of 18%, 28%, 40% and 60%. The trends in the data are discussed and used to develop a simple method that can conservatively estimate the number of cycles that samples with different degrees of saturation and fines contents are able to resist. The use of this method to describe the liquefaction behaviour of cargoes containing iron ore fines, in practice, is discussed.     

Influence of anisotropic stress states on the thermal volume change of unsaturated silt

This study is focused on understanding the influence of anisotropic stress states on the thermal volume change of unsaturated, compacted silt specimens. A thermo-hydro-mechanical true-triaxial cell was used that permits control of the temperature on all six boundaries of a cubical soil specimen as well as control of the suction within the specimen to provide drained conditions during mechanical loading and temperature changes. Six non-isothermal tests were performed as part of this study, each involving suction application, consolidation to a given isotropic or anisotropic stress state, heating and cooling in stages under drained conditions, and unloading. Specifically, tests having minor to major principal stress ratios of 1.0, 0.7, and 0.5 were performed on specimens having initial degrees of saturation of 0.7 and 0.8, complementing tests on the same soil under similar stress states but saturated conditions published in a previous study. Although compressive thermal axial strains were measured in both the major and minor stress directions, a greater thermal axial strain was observed in the direction of the major principal stress for stress ratios less than 1.0. However, similar thermal volumetric strains were observed in all of the tests regardless of the stress state. A small effect of inherent anisotropy was observed due to the formation of the specimens using compaction. Specimens with a lower initial degree of saturation experienced greater thermal volume changes than specimens closer to saturation, possibly due to thermal collapse of the air-filled voids during heating or thermally accelerated creep after application of a given plastic strain during mechanical loading. An empirical relationship to consider the effects of anisotropic stress states and variable saturation was incorporated into an established elasto-plastic model developed for saturated soils under isotropic conditions, and a good fit was obtained between the measurements and predictions.