A conceptual model for clay soils subjected to negative pore-water pressures

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 905-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.J. Murray ◽  
J.D. Geddes

Understanding and predicting the volume change behaviour of soils subjected to negative pore-water pressures presents a complex problem that requires a sound theoretical model matched to experimental evidence. A complete model must cover both saturated and unsaturated behaviour and relate stress levels to pore-water pressures and volume changes. A conceptual model for clay soils is presented which employs the principles of critical state soil mechanics. In developing the model, consideration is given to negative pore-water pressures arising as a result of the independent response to reductions in water content and reductions in confining stresses. In this way the limits of the conceptual model are defined. Key words : suction, negative pore-water pressure, volume change, unsaturated soil, critical state.

2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Illias Tsaparas ◽  
Harianto Rahardjo ◽  
David G Toll ◽  
Eng-Choon Leong

This paper presents the analysis of a 12 month long field study of the infiltration characteristics of two residual soil slopes in Singapore. The field measurements consist of rainfall data, runoff data of natural and simulated rainfall events, and pore-water pressure changes during infiltration at several depths and at several locations on the two slopes. The analysis of the field measurements identifies the total rainfall and the initial pore-water pressures within the two slopes as the controlling parameters for the changes in the pore-water pressures within the slopes during infiltration.Key words: infiltration, rainfall, runoff, pore-water pressure, field measurements.


1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-116
Author(s):  
K. D. Eigenbrod ◽  
J. P. Burak

Anchor forces, ground temperatures, and piezometric pressures were measured at a retaining wall in northwestern Ontario over a period of 2 years. The anchor forces were measured with strain gauges attached in pairs directly to the anchor rods. This method appeared practical in the field for time periods of less than 2 years as long as the strain gauges were carefully protected against moisture. The anchor forces increased from an average of 5 kN initially up to values of 50 kN during the winter periods and dropped during the summer periods back to the same values measured initially. The anchor forces were largely independent of pore-water pressure variations behind the wall. Rapid drawdown conditions, however, which were experienced during the second summer, were reflected in a load increase that was equivalent to the associated unloading effect in front of the wall. The pore-water pressures behind the wall were not noticeably affected by rapid drawdown, possibly due to the restraining effect of the anchors and the high rigidity of the low sheet pile wall. Ground temperatures at or below the groundwater table never dropped below 0 °C thus restricting the depth of frost penetration. Key words : anchor loads, freezing pressure, retaining walls, pore-water pressures, ground temperatures, field measurements.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Huang ◽  
Kejun Wen ◽  
Dongsheng Li ◽  
Xiaojia Deng ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
...  

The unloading creep behavior of soft soil under lateral unloading stress path and excess pore water pressure is the core problem of time-dependent analysis of surrounding rock deformation under excavation of soft soil. The soft soil in Shenzhen, China, was selected in this study. The triaxial unloading creep tests of soft soil under different initial excess pore water pressures (0, 20, 40, and 60 kPa) were conducted with the K0 consolidation and lateral unloading stress paths. The results show that the unloading creep of soft soil was divided into three stages: attenuation creep, constant velocity creep, and accelerated creep. The duration of creep failure is approximately 5 to 30 mins. The unloading creep behavior of soft soil is significantly affected by the deviatoric stress and time. The nonlinearity of unloading creep of soft soil is gradually enhanced with the increase of the deviatoric stress and time. The initial excess pore water pressure has an obvious weakening effect on the unloading creep of soft soil. Under the same deviatoric stress, the unloading creep of soft soil is more significant with the increase of initial excess pore water pressure. Under undrained conditions, the excess pore water pressure generally decreases during the lateral unloading process and drops sharply at the moment of unloading creep damage. The pore water pressure coefficients during the unloading process were 0.73–1.16, 0.26–1.08, and 0.35–0.96, respectively, corresponding to the initial excess pore water pressures of 20, 40, and 60 kPa.


1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (145) ◽  
pp. 495-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan A. Piotrowski ◽  
Anna M. Kraus

AbstractLaboratory tests on sediment over-ridden by the last ice sheet in north-western Germany reveal very low ice-induced pre-consolidation and high palaeo-pore-water pressures. Sediment consolidation at the base of the glacier was largely controlled by hydraulic properties of the substratum. Generally low permeabilities of the bed caused sustained high pore-water pressure in over-ridden sediments close to the flotation point. This implies a serious possibility of hydraulic lifting of the ice sheet. It is believed that the reduced basal coupling limited the transformation of glacier shear stress on to the bed sediments, which is indicated by a lack of sedimentological evidence for widespread pervasive bed deformation. Ice motion was probably focused at the glacier sole by some combination of sliding and ploughing. However, isolated spots with deformation occur, so that the subglacial system in the study area can be characterized as a stable/deforming mosaic.


2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1126-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Mohamedelhassan ◽  
J Q Shang

In this study, a vacuum and surcharge combined one-dimensional consolidation model is developed. Terzaghi's consolidation theory is revisited by applying the initial and boundary conditions corresponding to combined vacuum and surcharge loading on a soil. A test apparatus is designed, manufactured, and assembled to verify the model. The apparatus has the capacity of applying designated vacuum and surcharge pressures to a soil specimen, and it allows for the measurement of the excess pore-water pressure, settlement, and volume change during the consolidation process. Two series of tests are performed using the apparatus on two reconstituted natural clay soils, namely, the Welland sediment at water contents close to its liquid limit and the Orleans clay, reconstituted and consolidated under an effective stress of 60 kPa. The former test series mimics the strengthening of a very soft soil, such as the hydraulic fill used in land reclamation. The latter test series is designed to study vacuum–surcharge combined strengthening of a consolidated soil. It is demonstrated from the experiments that the one-dimensional vacuum-surcharge consolidation model describes the consolidation behaviour of both soils well. The consolidation characteristics of the soils show no discrimination against the nature of the consolidation pressure, namely, whether they are consolidated under the vacuum pressure alone, under the surcharge pressure alone, or under a pressure generated by the combined application of vacuum and surcharge. The study concluded that the soil consolidation characteristics obtained from the conventional consolidation tests can be used in the design of vacuum preloading systems, provided that the one-dimensional loading condition prevails.Key words: consolidation, soil improvement, vacuum pressure, surcharge pressure, excess pore-water pressure, soil consolidation parameters.


2014 ◽  
Vol 501-504 ◽  
pp. 1927-1931
Author(s):  
Guang Ju Wen ◽  
Wen Jie Deng ◽  
Feng Wen

Based on the characteristics of slope failure induced by rainfall, from the point of view of moisture migration and combining unsaturated soil mechanics, the characteristics of moisture migration in slope under different rainfall intensities were analyzed by finite element method. The results reveal that under rainfall, the pore water pressure in slope is in layered distribution, and at the bottom of slope, the pore water pressure is the highest, the top is lower and the middle is the lowest. The volumetric water content is in nonlinear distribution and the degree of nonlinear in unsaturated area is higher than that of the saturated area. The permeability coefficient of soil rises with the increase of rainfall intensity, and when the soil is saturated, its permeability coefficient is saturate permeability coefficient.


1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 765-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. V. Ramsamooj ◽  
R. Piper

The theoretical model for predicting the cyclic response of soils is extended to handle the generation and dissipation of pore-water pressures and to predict the rutting of the subgrade of a flexible pavement. The model utilizes multiyield surfaces and the concepts of critical state mechanics to predict the permanent deformation of the subgrade under vehicular loading. The theoretical solution also considers the effects of the drainage characteristics of the subgrade soil on the rate of development of the permanent deformation. Experimental verification of the model concepts are presented for a drained cyclic load test on Ottawa sand and for undrained cyclic loading on Newfield clay using published experimental data. An illustrative example is given for the prediction of rutting in a silty clay subgrade. The model parameters for the silty clay are obtained from triaxial and consolidation tests. These parameters are then put into a computer program that determines the rut depth, pore-water pressure, and the ratio of the vertical deformation and the rut depth as functions of the number of vehicular loads for a flexible pavement for various conditions of drainage ranging from undrained to fully drained. The role of the coefficient of consolidation of the subgrade in controlling the rate of development of the rut depth is highlighted. Key words : critical state soil mechanics, multiyield surfaces, rutting, silty clay subgrade, drainage, vehicular loading.


1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 773-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Yin ◽  
James Graham ◽  
Jack I. Clark ◽  
Longjun Gao

Field observations in thin soft clay layers may show pore-water pressures that increase for some time after the loading is applied. Reasons for these observations are not well understood. The paper shows how an elastic viscoplastic constitutive model incorporated into the consolidation equation can predict these pore-water pressure increases in soils that exhibit significant creep behaviour (or secondary compression). The phenomenon has been related to relaxation in regions of the profile from which drainage has not yet begun. Key words : clay, consolidation, creep, secondary compression, viscous, relaxation, pore-water pressure, elastic–plastic.


2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1148-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Helinski ◽  
Andy Fourie ◽  
Martin Fahey ◽  
Mostafa Ismail

During the placement of fine-grained cemented mine backfill, the high placement rates and low permeability often result in undrained self-weight loading conditions, when assessed in the conventional manner. However, hydration of the cement in the backfill results in a net volume reduction—the volume of the hydrated cement is less than the combined volume of the cement and water prior to hydration. Though the volume change is small, it occurs in conjunction with the increasing stiffness of the cementing soil matrix, and the result in certain circumstances can be a significant reduction in pore-water pressure as hydration proceeds. In this paper, the implications of this phenomenon in the area of cemented mine backfill are explored. An analytical model is developed to quantify this behaviour under undrained boundary conditions. This model illustrates that the pore-water pressure change is dependent on the amount of volume change associated with the cement hydration, the incremental stiffness change of the soil, and the porosity of the material. Experimental techniques for estimating key characteristics associated with this mechanism are presented. Testing undertaken on two different cement–minefill combinations indicated that the rate of hydration and volumes of water consumed during hydration were unique for each cement–tailings combination, regardless of mix proportions.


2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1049-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
C WW Ng ◽  
B Wang ◽  
Y K Tung

Three-dimensional (3D) numerical analyses were conducted to investigate groundwater responses in an initially unsaturated cut slope at Lai Ping Road in Hong Kong subjected to rainfalls with various patterns, durations, and return periods. Initial and boundary conditions were established from field monitoring data. The computed results show that rainfall pattern has a significant influence on pore-water pressures in soil layers near the ground surface but its influence gradually diminishes with depth. Rainfall with an advanced storm pattern of 24 h duration was found to be the most critical because it results in the highest pore-water pressure in the slope. At a given depth, the influence of rainfall pattern on pore-water pressures depends on the initial groundwater conditions: the higher the initial water table, the smaller the influence of rainfall pattern on pore-water pressures. Under a given rainfall duration, the rise of pore-water pressure at the study site is significant only when the return period increases from 10 years to 100 years, but not from 100 years to 1000 years. Short-duration, intense rainfall causes larger variations in pore-water pressure at shallow depths, whereas long-duration rainfall has a greater influence on groundwater in deep soils because of the generally greater amount of rainfall. For prolonged rainfalls, the difference in pore-water pressure distribution resulting from different rainfall patterns is less significant than that from short-duration, intense rainfalls.Key words: Lai Ping Road, rainfall patterns, pore-water pressure distributions, suction, unsaturated slope.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document