Effect of fibre content and structure on anisotropic elastic stiffness and shear strength of peat

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Hendry ◽  
Jitendra S. Sharma ◽  
C. Derek Martin ◽  
S. Lee Barbour
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Confining Pressure ◽  
Deviatoric Stress ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Direct Shear Tests ◽  
A Value ◽  
Frictional Strength ◽  
Fibrous Peat ◽  
Interparticle Friction

This paper presents the results of a laboratory testing program involving consolidated undrained triaxial tests and direct shear tests on remoulded peat, remoulded peat fibre, and Shelby specimens of peat obtained from a field site located in the Edson subdivision of the Canadian National railway in Alberta, Canada. These results were analyzed within the frameworks of elastic behaviour of cross-anisotropic materials and shear strength of fibre-reinforced soil. Shelby specimens were found to be inherently cross-anisotropic, whereas the remoulded peat and peat fibre specimens showed a transition from isotropic to cross-anisotropic with increasing vertical strain and effective confining pressure. The horizontal stiffness of Shelby specimens was found to be 2.6 to 2.9 times their vertical stiffness. The shear strength of intact peat is made up of interparticle friction as well as tension in the peat fibres. A novel procedure for estimating the interparticle frictional strength of fibrous peat from CU triaxial test results is proposed. It involves extrapolating the linear strain-hardening portion of the stress–strain curve to obtain the deviatoric stress at zero axial strain and plotting the deviatoric stress values thus obtained against initial mean effective confining pressure to obtain the frictional strength. Using this procedure, a value of 31° was obtained for the interparticle friction, which compares favourably with a value of 31° obtained from direct shear tests. It is recommended that further studies be undertaken to assess if interparticle frictional strength is an appropriate strength parameter for evaluation of the stability of structures founded on fibrous peat.

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

Determination of the shear strength parameters of an unsaturated soil using the direct shear test

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 500-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. M. Gan ◽  
D. G. Fredlund ◽  
H. Rahardjo
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Testing Procedure ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Direct Shear Tests ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Practical Engineering ◽  
Direct Shear Apparatus

Multistage direct shear tests have been performed on saturated and unsaturated specimens of a compacted glacial till. A conventional direct shear apparatus was modified in order to use the axis-translation technique for direct shear tests on unsaturated soils. The soil can be subjected to a wide range of matric suctions. The testing procedure and some typical results are presented. Nonlinearity in the failure envelope with respect to matric suction was observed. Suggestions are made as to how best to handle the nonlinearity from a practical engineering standpoint. Key words: shear strength, unsaturated soils, negative pore-water pressures, soil suction, direct shear.

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.

scholarly journals Influence of particle size and gradation on shear strength–dilation relation of granular materials

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samaneh Amirpour Harehdasht ◽  
Mahmoud N. Hussien ◽  
Mourad Karray ◽  
Varvara Roubtsova ◽  
Mohamed Chekired
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Shear Strength ◽  
Granular Materials ◽  
Plane Strain ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Empirical Formulas ◽  
Direct Shear Tests

Upon close scrutiny of data reported in the literature, taking into account particle-scale characteristics to optimize the precision of the well-known empirical Bolton’s equations and imposing particle-size limits on them is recommended. The present paper examines the potential influence of particle size and grading on the shear strength–dilation relation of granular materials from the results of 276 symmetrical direct shear tests. The applicability of physical symmetrical direct shear tests to interpret the plane strain frictional shearing resistance of granular materials has been widely discussed using the discrete element method (DEM) computer code SiGran. Sixteen different grain-size distribution curves of three different materials were tested at different normal pressures and initial relative densities. It is demonstrated that while the contribution of dilatancy to shear strength is not influenced by the variation in the coefficient of uniformity, Cu, in the investigated range, it significantly decreases with increasing mean particle size, D50. The coefficients of Bolton’s equations have been, therefore, adjusted to account for D50. A comparison of the predictions by the proposed empirical formulas with plane strain friction angle, [Formula: see text], and dilation angle, ψ, data from the literature shows that accounting for the grain size yields more accurate results.

scholarly journals Mechanical Behaviour of Reinforced Sand with Natural Curauá Fibers through Full Scale Direct Shear Tests

2019 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 12003
Author(s):  
Leila Maria Coelho de Carvalho ◽  
Michelé Dal Toé Casagrande
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Soil Reinforcement ◽  
Direct Shear ◽  
Shear Strength Parameters ◽  
Shear Tests ◽  
Strength Parameters ◽  
Direct Shear Tests ◽  
Soil Shear Strength ◽  
Curaua Fibers

Inclusion of natural fibers (sisal, curauá, coco fiber and others) for soil improvement has been the study object in diverse geotechnical areas and it is a topic of growing interest, within the research area of new geotechnical materials. The state of the art in this subject highlights excellent results as soil strength parameters improve and post-cracking strength (toughness) increase. Soil reinforcement technique with fibers is established in the technology of composite materials, this being a combination of two or more materials presenting properties that the component materials do not possess on their own. The aim of this paper is to study the mechanical behaviour of sand-fiber composite by inserting natural curauá fibers into a sandy matrix, with different fiber contents. The fibers were randomly distributed in the soil mass. The experimental program included physical and mechanical characterization of the composites, using full-scale direct shear tests, with samples measuring 30 x 30 cm and 15 cm high. Direct shear tests were carried out using fibers with 25 mm length and 0.5 and 0.75% fiber content (relative to the soil dry weight). The specimens also presented a relative density of 50% and moisture content of 10%. It was sought to establish a pattern behaviour so that the addition of curauá fiber influence can be explained, thus, comparing with the sandy soil shear strength parameters. Inclusion of natural curauá fibers as soil reinforcement presented satisfactory results, as an increase in the soil shear strength parameters was observed when compared with sandy soil results.

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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