Comparison of shear strength of sand backfills measured in small-scale and large-scale direct shear tests

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1224-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Bareither ◽  
Craig H. Benson ◽  
Tuncer B. Edil
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Triaxial Compression ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Direct Shear Tests ◽  
Failure Envelopes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Backfill Materials

Direct shear tests were conducted on 30 sand backfill materials having gravel contents ranging from 0% to 30% in a 64 mm square small-scale direct shear (SSDS) box and a 305 mm square large-scale direct shear (LSDS) box. The objectives were to compare the shearing behavior of a broad range of natural sand backfill materials tested in SSDS and LSDS and to determine if the same friction angle (φ′) is obtained in SSDS and LSDS when the natural backfill material contains gravel. Triaxial compression (TC) tests were also conducted on four of the backfill materials for comparison with the SSDS and LSDS tests. Specimens tested in SSDS and TC included only material passing the No. 4 sieve (P4). Test specimens in LSDS included the P4 material as well as material retained on the No. 4 sieve (R4), to a maximum particle diameter of 25.4 mm. Friction angles corresponding to peak strength (φ′) measured in SSDS and LSDS differed by no more than 4° for a given sand backfill, and in most cases were within 2°. The friction angles also were unaffected by removal of the R4 material. Repeatability tests showed that statistically similar failure envelopes (p-value = 0.98) are obtained in SSDS and LSDS, and that highly repeatable friction angles (φ′) are obtained using the SSDS (φ′ ± 0.25°) and the LSDS (φ′ ± 0.45°) methods. No statistically significant difference was found among the failure envelopes measured in SSDS, LSDS, and TC, suggesting that φ′ for clean sand backfill with less than 30% gravel can be measured with similar accuracy using any of the three test methods.

scholarly journals Using Post-Harvest Waste to Improve Shearing Behaviour of Loess and Its Validation by Multiscale Direct Shear Tests

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (23) ◽  
pp. 5206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Chieh Cheng ◽  
Zhong-Fei Xue ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
Jian Xu
Keyword(s):  
Shear Stress ◽  
Shear Strength ◽  
Strain Hardening ◽  
Gradual Increase ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Optimal Dosage ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Direct Shear Tests

Loess and PHW (post-harvest waste) are easily accessible in the Chinese Loess Plateau and have been widely applied to construction of residential houses that have been inhabited for decades under the effect of freeze-thaw cycles. Although many researchers have recognised that the addition of fibers to loess soil is effective in preventing soil erosion and stabilising slopes, a consensus on this claim has not been reached yet. This study investigates the shearing behaviour of the loess-PHW mixture using small-scale and large-scale direct shear (SSDS and LSDS) tests. Four typical shear stress versus horizontal displacement curves from the multiscale direct shear tests are recognised where one is featured with strain-softening shape and the other three with a strain-hardening shape. Two out of the three curves with strain-hardening shape show a gradual increase in the shear stress at additional and larger displacements, respectively, in which some factor starts to have an influence on the shearing behaviour. Comparisons of the shear strength measured in SSDS and LSDS are made, indicating that there are differences between SSDS and LSDS. The effect of PHW addition on shear strength is assessed in order to determine the optimal dosage. The improvement of shear strength is attributed to the effect of particle inter-locking, resulting from the addition of PHW to loess specimens, and takes effect as the water content surpassed a threshold, i.e., >14%, that facilitates particle rearrangement. Particle-box interaction behaviour is assessed at the same time, and the findings satisfactorily address the main cause of the gradual increase in shear stress following the curve inflection point. The improved shearing behaviour proves the ability of the loess-PHW mixture to resist the seepage force and consequently stratum erosion.

Shear Strength of Sand–Clay Interfaces Through Large-Scale Direct Shear Tests

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 4343-4357
Author(s):  
Zhong-Liang Zhang ◽  
Zhen-Dong Cui ◽  
Ling-Zi Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Direct Shear Tests

Large Scale Laboratory Direct Shear Tests on Ice

1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Roggensack
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Principal Stresses ◽  
Lake Ice ◽  
Direct Shear Tests ◽  
Strength Determination ◽  
Crystal Diameter ◽  
Shear Box

This paper presents the results of a series of large scale direct shear tests performed on lake ice. Test specimens were oriented with the principal stresses acting in the plane of the ice sheet, approximately normal to the long axes of the columnar crystals. Sample dimensions were large in comparison with mean crystal diameter, reducing the possibility of deviations introduced by size effects. Although a number of assumptions are made concerning stress conditions at failure, results for uniform, artificially ‘seeded’ test pond ice indicate a failure mechanism that is frictional and consistent with triaxial test data reported elsewhere. Post-peak shear resulted in the formation of a distinct failure zone that also displayed a frictional response. The direct shear test described is robust and simple, does not require elaborate sample preparation, and may present an alternative method of strength determination for ice mechanics problems where the shear box configuration duplicates field stress conditions and constraints.

scholarly journals Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Sand under Triaxial Compression and Direct Shear

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Noorzad ◽  
Seyed Taher Ghoreyshi Zarinkolaei
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Axial Strain ◽  
Triaxial Compression ◽  
Polypropylene Fiber ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Peak Reduction ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Direct Shear Tests

AbstractThis research investigates the behavior of sand reinforced with polypropylene fiber. To do this, 40 direct shear tests and 40 triaxial tests were performed on the coastal beaches of Babolsar, a city in the North of Iran. The effect of parameters such as fiber content, length of fiber and normal or confining pressure on the behavior of Babolsar sand have been studied. In this study, four various fiber contents (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 percent), three different lengths of fiber (6, 12 and 18 mm) and four normal or confining pressures (50, 100, 200 and 400 kPa) have been employed. The test results show that fiber inclusion has a significant effect on the behavior of sand. In both direct shear and triaxial tests, the addition of fibers improved shear strength parameters (C, '), increased peak shear strength and axial strain at failure, and also limited the amount of post-peak reduction in shear resistance. The comparison of the test results revealed that due to better fiber orientation toward the direction of principal tensile strain in triaxial test as compared to direct shear tests, the fiber efficiency and its effect on soil behavior is much more significant in triaxial specimens.

Large Scale Direct Shear Tests on Reinforced Soil

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ennio M. Palmeira ◽  
George W.E. Milligan
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Reinforced Soil ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Direct Shear Tests

Shear Strength and Drainage Characteristics of Elastomeric Polyurethane Treated Coal-Fouled Ballast

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110363
Author(s):  
Syed Khaja Karimullah Hussaini ◽  
Dinesh Gundavaram
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Contamination Index ◽  
Direct Shear Tests ◽  
Fouled Ballast ◽  
Constant Head ◽  
Fouling Materials

The shear behavior and drainage characteristics of coal-fouled ballast when treated with elastomeric polyurethane are assessed by means of large-scale direct shear and permeability tests. The results from direct shear tests confirmed that the shear strength of both stabilized and unstabilized coal-fouled ballast was highly influenced by the extent of fouling (VCI: void contamination index). The performance index (PI) of elastomer-stabilized coal-fouled ballast (ESFB), determined as the fraction of shear strength of fouled ballast to the shear strength of fresh and unstabilized ballast, lies in the range of 1.23 to 0.84. Moreover, the performance of ESFB having VCI ≥30% was found to be either similar to or poorer than that of clean ballast without any treatment, thus indicating that the elastomer treatment may be provided only to ballast with VCI ≤30%. The results from constant head permeability tests indicate that the hydraulic conductivity of ballast ( k) is highly influenced by the presence of fouling materials but is only slightly reduced as a result of the elastomer stabilization. The k of ballast decreased from 43 to 0.18 mm/s as the VCI increased from 0 to 75%. For VCI ≥ 45% the k of ballast was found to be lower than that recommended for sub-ballast. On the other hand, the k of ballast reduced slightly from 43 to 37 mm/s because of the elastomer stabilization. Furthermore, an empirical relationship is established between k and e to determine the k of both stabilized and unstabilized fouled ballast.

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