Experimental and numerical studies of the hydromechanical behaviour of a natural unsaturated swelling soil

2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Nowamooz ◽  
M. Mrad ◽  
A. Abdallah ◽  
F. Masrouri
Keyword(s):  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Mercury Porosimetry ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Shallow Foundation ◽  
Water Retention Curve ◽  
Elastic Behaviour ◽  
Wetting And Drying ◽  
Numerical Studies ◽  
Swelling Soil ◽  
Hydromechanical Behaviour

This paper presents experimental studies performed on a natural swelling soil. Initially, the soil fabric was studied by a mercury porosimetry test, revealing a clear bimodal pore distribution that corresponds to micro- and macrostructural levels. The water-retention curve of the soil was then determined using two suction-imposition techniques: the osmotic and the vapour equilibrium methods. During the main testing program, three successive wetting and drying cycles were applied in a suction range between 0 and 2 MPa under different values of constant vertical net stress using osmotic oedometers. The test samples showed cumulative swelling strains during the cycles. The volumetric strains reached an equilibrium stage, indicating an elastic behaviour of the samples at the end of the suction cycles. Based on these results, the parameters of an elastoplastic model for swelling unsaturated soils (BExM) were derived. This model, implemented in a finite element code (Code_Bright), was applied to a practical problem of a shallow foundation based on a swelling soil. This application studies the effects of hydraulic solicitations on settlements of this foundation. The results show the capacity of the model to solve complex hydromechanically coupled problems.

scholarly journals Alternative Method for Analysing Hydromechanical Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils

2016 ◽  
pp. 29-39
Author(s):  
Márcia Maria dos Anjos Mascarenha ◽  
Manoel Porfírio Cordão Neto ◽  
Tâmara Moraes Guimarães Silva
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Soil Mechanics ◽  
Water Retention Curve ◽  
Initial Water Content ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Initial Water ◽  
Suction Control ◽  
Alternative Method ◽  
Hydromechanical Behaviour

The suction-control techniques commonly used for laboratory studies of mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils are much more time consuming than standard soil mechanics tests. In addition, few laboratories have the required apparatus for testing unsaturated soils. This paper proposes an alternative method of analysing hydromechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils with high-porosity. The method is divided in three tasks: 1) verification of the effect of void ratio changes on the water retention curve using filter paper; 2) determining water content changes by evaporation under the same test conditions; and 3) performing saturated and unsaturated consolidation tests. Unsaturated tests make use of samples that are less than 100% saturated and there is no suction control during the test. Therefore, only initial water content is known. Significant suction changes take place due to void closure and evaporation while testing. The results obtained using the proposed methodology showed the stress and suction path and enhance the understanding of the hydromechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. The results also showed that analyses of water content alone cannot explain some unexpected results, such as: 20% initial water content samples present less deformation than 16% samples.

Porous Structure and Transport Properties of a Carbonized Phenolic Resin

1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Fott ◽  
František Kolář ◽  
Zuzana Weishauptová
Keyword(s):  
Porous Structure ◽  
Transport Properties ◽  
Phenolic Resin ◽  
Arrhenius Equation ◽  
Mercury Porosimetry ◽  
Micropore Volume ◽  
Microporous Structure ◽  
Wetting And Drying ◽  
Phenolic Resins ◽  
Kinetics Of

On carbonizing phenolic resins, the development of porous structure takes place which influences the transport properties of carbonized materials. To give a true picture of this effect, specimens in the shape of plates were prepared and carbonized at various temperatures. The carbonizates obtained were studied by adsorption methods, electron microscopy, and mercury porosimetry. Diffusivities were evaluated in terms of measuring the kinetics of wetting and drying. It was found out that the porous structure of specimens in different stages of carbonization is formed mostly by micropores whose volumes were within 0.06 to 0.22 cm3/g. The maximum micropore volume is reached at the temperature of 750 °C. The dependence of diffusivity on the carbonization temperature is nearly constant at first, begins to increase in the vicinity of 400 °C, and at 600 °C attains its maximum. The experimental results reached are in agreement with the conception of the development and gradual closing of the microporous structure in the course of carbonization. The dependence of diffusivity on temperature can be expressed by the Arrhenius equation. In this connection, two possible models of mass transport were discussed.

scholarly journals Hydromechanical behaviour of a compacted swelling soil over a wide suction range

2005 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Cuisinier ◽  
Farimah Masrouri
Keyword(s):  
Swelling Soil ◽  
Hydromechanical Behaviour

Film thickness in elastohydrodynamically lubricated slender elliptic contacts: Part I – numerical studies of central film thickness

2021 ◽  
pp. 135065012110477
Author(s):  
Marius Wolf ◽  
Sergey Solovyev ◽  
Fatemi Arshia
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication ◽  
Large Parameter ◽  
Numerical Studies ◽  
Minimum Film Thickness ◽  
Subsequent Publication ◽  
New Formula ◽  
Increasing Load

In this paper, analytical equations for the central film thickness in slender elliptic contacts are investigated. A comparison of state-of-the-art formulas with simulation results of a multilevel elastohydrodynamic lubrication solver is conducted and shows considerable deviation. Therefore, a new film thickness formula for slender elliptic contacts with variable ellipticity is derived. It incorporates asymptotic solutions, which results in validity over a large parameter domain. It captures the behaviour of increasing film thickness with increasing load for specific very slender contacts. The new formula proves to be significantly more accurate than current equations. Experimental studies and discussions on minimum film thickness will be presented in a subsequent publication.

An analytical model for predicting the shear strength of unsaturated soils

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-57
Author(s):  
Tuan A. Pham ◽  
Melis Sutman
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Analytical Model ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Micromechanical Model ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Stress Equilibrium ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
New Equation ◽  
Multi Phase

The prediction of shear strength for unsaturated soils remains to be a significant challenge due to their complex multi-phase nature. In this paper, a review of prior experimental studies is firstly carried out to present important pieces of evidence, limitations, and some design considerations. Next, an overview of the existing shear strength equations is summarized with a brief discussion. Then, a micromechanical model with stress equilibrium conditions and multi-phase interaction considerations is presented to provide a new equation for predicting the shear strength of unsaturated soils. The validity of the proposed model is examined for several published shear strength data of different soil types. It is observed that the shear strength predicted by the analytical model is in good agreement with the experimental data, and get high performance compared to the existing models. The evaluation of the outcomes with two criteria, using average relative error and the normalized sum of squared error, proved the effectiveness and validity of the proposed equation. Using the proposed equation, the nonlinear relationship between shear strength, saturation degree, volumetric water content, and matric suction are observed.

scholarly journals Investigations on Torsion of the Two-Chords Single Laced Members

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-160
Author(s):  
Paweł Lorkowski ◽  
Bronisław Gosowski
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Second Moment ◽  
Steel Columns ◽  
Numerical Studies ◽  
Traction Network ◽  
Railway Traction ◽  
Parametric Analyses ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The paper presents experimental and numerical studies to determine the equivalent second moment of area of the uniform torsion of the two-chord steel single laced members. The members are used as poles of railway traction network gates, and steel columns of framed buildings as well. The stiffness of uniform torsion of this kind of columns allows to the determine the critical loads of the spatial stability. The experimental studies have been realized on a single - span members with rotation arrested at their ends, loaded by a torque applied at the mid-span. The relationship between angle of rotation of the considered cross-section and the torque has been determined. Appropriate numerical model was created in the ABAQUS program, based on the finite element method. A very good compatibility has been observed between experimental and numerical studies. The equivalent second moment of area of the uniform torsion for analysed members has been determined by comparing the experimental and analytical results to those obtained from differential equation of non-uniform torsion, based on Vlasov’s theory. Additionally, the parametric analyses of similar members subjected to the uniform torsion, for the richer range of cross-sections have been carried out by the means of SOFiSTiK program. The purpose of the latter was determining parametrical formulas for calculation of the second moment of area of uniform torsion.

scholarly journals Structural Pounding Detection by Using Wavelet Scalogram

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shutao Xing ◽  
Marvin W. Halling ◽  
Qingli Meng
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Shake Table Tests ◽  
Rigid Barrier ◽  
Single Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Structural Pounding ◽  
Numerical Studies ◽  
Bridge Model ◽  
On Line ◽  
Potential Damage ◽  
Bridge Responses

Structural pounding can cause considerable damage and even lead to collapse of structures. Most research focuses on modeling, parameter investigation, and mitigation approaches. With the development of structural health monitoring, the on-line detection of pounding becomes possible. The detection of pounding can provide useful information of potential damage of structures. This paper proposed using wavelet scalograms of dynamic response to detect pounding and examined the feasibility of this method. Numerical investigations were performed on a pounding system that consisted of a damped single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structure and a rigid barrier. Hertz contact model was used to simulate pounding behavior. The responses and pounding forces of the system under harmonic and earthquake excitations were numerically solved. The wavelet scalograms of acceleration responses were used to identify poundings. It was found that the scalograms can indicate the occurrence of pounding and occurrence time very well. The severity of the poundings was also approximately estimated. Experimental studies were carried out, in which shake table tests were conducted on a bridge model that underwent pounding between its different components during ground motion excitation. The wavelet scalograms of the bridge responses indicated pounding occurrence quite well. Hence the conclusions from the numerical studies were verified experimentally.

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