Electrochemical strengthening of clayey sandy soils

Most previous studies and applications of electrochemical stabilization of soils through electroosmosis have been made on clayey soils. The object of this investigation was to find out if relatively small amounts of clay (1.5%–3.5%, by weight) present in a sandy soil would be enough for stabilization and strengthening to be possible. The results indicate increases of cohesion of the order of 100–200 lb./sq.ft. X-ray analyses of treated soils indicate that sheet structures of clays are reduced and silicates destroyed upon treatment by electroosmosis. Newly-formed minerals also cement the soil. These neoformations include gibbsite, limonite, calcite, hydrohematite, hydrogoethite (hydrolepidocrocite), hisingerite, allophane, allophanoid, gypsum, hematite, magnetite, nontronite, trona and natron (Na₂ CO₃, 10H₂O). The process seems to be irreversible.     

Residual-state creep behavior of typical clayey soils

There are few places in the world to monitor aseismic creep. One of them is the Ismetpasa segment of the North Anatolian Fault. The observations in the Ismetpasa showed that the creep rate progressively decreased along the 40 years before the 1999 Kocaeli-Golcuk (Mw = 7.6) earthquake and then started increasing. This phenomenon might be a systematic of the creeping segments. If it is the case, this behavior can be utilized for early warning before the expected major earthquake in the Marmara Sea. In this study, the creep rate of the segment has been studied by GPS and InSAR technologies. The results showed that the rate has decreased to 1.3 cm a year. This result might be an indication of stress starting increase. If the segment retains the decreasing trend and it is ceased by a major earthquake, it would be a proof of the relationship between the creep process and the earthquakes. Then, the creep process might be utilized for early warning.     

Cementation effects in two lacustrine clayey soils

This paper describes the main findings of a laboratory study on the mechanical behaviour of cemented geologically normally consolidated lacustrine clayey soils from two sites, Bacinetto (BA) and Avezzano (AZ), in the Fucino basin (Italy). One-dimensional and triaxial compression tests were carried out in order to investigate the effects of the presence and of the progressive degradation of the interparticle cementation bonds. The two tested soils showed quite different physical and mechanical properties, the more apparent ones being plasticity and yield stress values. The experimental results allowed the gross yield curves and the critical state conditions to be identified for both soils (BA clay and AZ silt). A number of typical features generally exhibited by cemented soils were clearly apparent: yield stresses greater than the in situ stress states, both soils being geologically normally consolidated; high values of compressibility index after yielding, which gradually reduce with increasingly applied stresses; strength reductions associated with a globally contractive behaviour. A convenient normalisation of the experimental results, in which the critical state conditions are assumed as a reference state, allowed the effects of cementation bonds and of their progressive degradation to be highlighted. In particular, BA samples were found to be characterised by different structures related to different degrees of cementation. Furthermore, despite the larger values of the yielding stresses exhibited by AZ silt, stronger effects of cementation are apparent in BA soil. Experimental results seem to indicate that at high values of the applied stress and strain paths, when bonds are largely damaged, the structures of the natural and parent reconstituted BA soil continue to be different.     

不同类型黏土的强度特性及其预测

强度特性是非饱和土力学中基础性的研究内容。目前对广吸力范围内非饱和黏土强度的预测研究相对较少。本文首先基于文献中粉质黏土、Madrid黏土和南阳弱膨胀土的非饱和强度特性进行了对比与分析。将不同类型非饱和黏土的强度特性大致分为3种类型:（1）在某一吸力范围试样出现强度峰值,并随着吸力值的进一步增大而降低;（2）达到某一吸力值后其强度几乎维持不变,不受吸力值的影响;（3）其强度随着吸力值的增大而增大。此外,基于现有考虑吸附水膜和毛细水作用的方法拟合广吸力范围内不同类型土的土水特征曲线,并将土水特征曲线分离成吸附土水特征曲线和毛细土水特征曲线。在非饱和土的抗剪强度公式中,认为吸力引起的非饱和强度增强部分主要由毛细水作用决定的,故将非饱和抗剪强度公式中吸力引起非饱和增强项的有效应力系数（即饱和度或有效饱和度）用毛细水对应的饱和度替代。最后,利用修正后的非饱和抗剪强度公式对3种较广吸力范围内非饱和土的强度进行了预测。预测结果表明过渡区段内的强度预测效果较好,但高吸力段非饱和强度的预测还有待进一步研究。     

The liquefaction of clayey soils under cyclic loading

This paper seeks to investigate the liquefaction of clayey soils, a phenomenon that has been the trigger for many natural disasters in the last few decades, including landslides. Research was conducted on artificial clay-sand mixtures and natural clayey soils collected from the sliding surfaces of earthquake-induced landslides. The undrained response of normally consolidated clayey soils to cyclic loading was studied by means of a ring-shear apparatus. For the artificial clay-sand mixtures, it was found that the presence of a small amount of bentonite (≤ 7%) would cause rapid liquefaction, while a further increase in bentonite content (≥ 11%) produced the opposite effect of raising soil resistance to liquefaction by a significant degree. It was demonstrated that the bentonite-sand mixture was considerably more resistant to liquefaction than the kaolin-, and illite-mixtures, given the same clay content. The test results of plastic soils revealed the significant influence of plasticity on the liquefaction resistance of soil. The microfabric of clayey soil was investigated by means of a scanning electron microscope. The analysis showed that the liquefaction potential of soil was strongly related to certain particle arrangements. For example, soil vulnerable to liquefaction had an open microfabric in which clay aggregations generally gathered at the sand particle contact points, forming low-strength “clay bridges” that were destroyed easily during cyclic loading. On the other hand, the microfabric of soil that was resistant to liquefaction appeared to be more compact, with the clay producing a matrix that prevented sand grains from liquefying. In the case of the natural soils, the obtained results indicated that their cyclic behavior was similarly influenced by factors such as clay content, clay mineralogy and plasticity. The relation between the liquefaction potential of natural soil and its microfabric was thus also established. On the basis of the obtained results, the authors posited an explanation on the mechanism of liquefaction for clayey soil.     

Stress induced time dependent behavior of clayey soils

It is shown that time compression curve obtained from one-dimensional consolidation curve in the laboratory may include six phases. These are initial compression, first primary compression, transition from first primary compression to second primary compression, second primary compression, and transition from second primary compression to creep and lastly creep. This paper attempts to identify the quantitative beginnings and characteristics of these phases. A mathematical characteristic of all the soils that follow primary consolidation as per Terzaghi’s one dimensional consolidation theory is derived. It is known as the constant of primary consolidation. It is used to study the beginning of secondary consolidation and its effects on primary consolidation. Another characteristic of soils for creep and total absence of primary compression is derived. Methods are suggested for the determination of coefficients of Primary and Secondary consolidations and the compression index.     

Analytical theory for one‐dimensional consolidation of clayey soils exhibiting rheological characteristics under time‐dependent loading

This paper presents analytical solutions to the one‐dimensional consolidation problem taking into consideration the rheological properties of clayey soil under variable loadings. A four‐element rheological model is introduced, and different loading types are involved, i.e. constant loading, one‐step loading, triangular loading, rectangular loading, and isosceles–trapezoidal cyclic loading. The differential equations governing consolidation are solved by the Laplace transform. Based on the solutions obtained, the influences of the rheological parameters and loading conditions on the consolidation process are investigated. It has been shown that the consolidation behavior is mainly governed by four dimensionless parameters, a₁, a₂, b, and T_v0. Load shape has a great influence on the rate of consolidation. A decrease either in the modulus of the spring in the Kelvin body or in the viscosity coefficient of independent dashpot will slow down the rate of consolidation. An increase in the viscosity coefficient of the dashpot in the Kelvin body will make the rate of consolidation increase at an early stage but decrease at a later stage. For isosceles–trapezoidal cyclic loading, the consolidation rate in each cycle reaches a maximum at the end of the constant loading phase and the minimum at the end of this cycle. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rheological properties of clayey soils originating from flow-like landslides

Flow-like landslides in clayey soils represent serious threats for populations and infrastructures and have been the subject of numerous studies in the past decade. However, despite the rising need for landslide mitigation with growing urbanization, the transient mechanisms involved in the solid-fluid transition are still poorly understood. One way of characterizing the solid-fluid transition is to carry out rheometrical tests on clayey soil samples to assess the evolution of viscosity with the shear stress. In this study, we carried out geotechnical and rheometrical tests on clayey samples collected from six flow-like landslides in order to assess if these clayey soils exhibit similar characteristics when they fluidize (solid-fluid transition). The results show that (1) all tested soils except one exhibit a yield-stress fluid behavior that can be associated with a bifurcation in viscosity (described by the critical shear rate \( \dot{\gamma_c} \)) and in shear modulus G; (2) the larger the amplitude of the viscosity bifurcation, the larger the associated drop in G; and (3) the water content (w) deviation from the Atterberg liquid limit (LL) seem a key parameter controlling a common mechanical behavior of these soils at the solid-fluid transition. We propose exponential laws describing the evolution of the critical shear stress τ_c, the critical shear rate \( \dot{\gamma_c} \), and the shear modulus G as a function of the deviation w-LL.     

The residual shear strength of some Hellenic clayey soils

Summary A programme of residual shear strength testing has been undertaken on a number of Hellenic soil types: Marls, Clays and Flysch. The residual strength was determined using the Bromhead ring shear aparatus. For the applied normal stress range the residual strength envelope was straight and the resultant residual friction angle values are correlated with the index properties, such as Atterberg limits and grain-size distribution. The influence of mineralogy on the residual friction angle is also considered.     

Analytical solution for one-dimensional consolidation of clayey soils with a threshold gradient

General approximate analytical solutions are developed for one-dimensional consolidation with consideration of the threshold gradient under a time-dependent loading. A comparison is made between the present solution and some available numerical solutions for a particular case, and the results show that the approach employed in this article is reasonable. The influence of the threshold gradient and the loading period on consolidation behaviour is investigated, and the results show that the moving boundary of seepage moves downward gradually. The greater the threshold gradient is, the slower the boundary moves. The excess pore pressure will not be completely dissipated at the end of consolidation, and the larger the threshold gradient is, the greater the residual excess pore pressure is. The average degree of consolidation considering the threshold gradient defined by settlement is different from that defined by pore pressure. Moreover, the greater the threshold gradient is, the larger the average degree of consolidation in terms of strain, whereas the smaller the average degree of consolidation in terms of stress. It is also shown that the longer the loading period is, the longer the time moving boundary takes to reach the bottom of the layer, and the greater the average degree of consolidation is.     

上海黏性土与水泥混合后强度增长特性试验研究

对于使用水泥与上海黏性土进行混合加固的土体,其强度增长特性与水泥含量、加固土的初期pH值、养护时间有关。以上海4类黏土为研究对象,对加固土的强度增长特性进行了试验研究;探讨了加固土的养护时间、水泥含量、初期pH等与加固土强度的关系。试验结果表明,当上海黏土中水泥含量或者加固土的初期pH值大于某一临界值时,水泥加固土的强度将迅速增加,对于上海黏土,该临界pH值为11.7,对应的水泥含量为17%～20%。但当水泥含量达到一定值后,它对土体的pH值的影响开始变小,而且水泥土的强度趋于稳定的时间变长。     

Deformation zones under square footings supported by clayey soils

Footing settlements depend not only on physical and mechanical properties of base soils, but also on applied load intensities and their distributions with depth, as well as on footing rigidity, shape and dimensions. An analytical expression relating rigid bearing plate and/or footing settlements to thicknesses of deformation (active) zones, which form below footing bottoms, has been previously offered by the author. The results of tests performed with 0.5, 1.0 and 4.0 m²-area square footings, constructed on undisturbed clayey soils and containing data describing active zone development, were collected from literature and analyzed. This paper presents graphical relationships between square footing settlements, active zone thicknesses and footing dimensions, which are verified by published test results performed with experimental square footings, having areas different than the ones selected for statistical analyses.     

Water repellency in oil contaminated sandy and clayey soils

Two sites from a humid tropical environment were studied with respect to soil water repellency caused by hydrocarbon contamination. Samples were analyzed for water repellency (molarity ethanol droplet method), total petroleum hydrocarbons, acute toxicity (Microtox) and field capacity. At both sites, water absorption times were logarithmically related to the molarity ethanol drop value (R > 0.95). In a sandy soil collected from an old separation battery which had been bioremediated, field capacity was strongly related to hydrocarbon concentration (R = 0.998); and at 10,000 mg/kg the calculated field capacity was only 75 % of the baseline. Water repellency was related to hydrocarbon concentration asymptotically and plant growth limiting values (severity > 3.0) were observed at low concentrations (2,400 mg/kg), even though toxicity was at, or below background levels. Bioremediated soil at this site had hydrocarbon concentrations only 1,300 ppm above background, but had extreme water repellency (severity = 4.6–4.7). Soil water repellency was also measured in a clayey, organic rich floodable soil, in a multiple pipeline right-of-way colonized by water tolerant pasture and cattails. Water repellency was associated with total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration (R = 0.962), but was not related to field capacity or toxicity. In this low-lying site, the water repellency observed in the laboratory is probably not representative of field conditions: samples taken at the end of the ten week dry season (and only four days before the first rains) showed ample moisture (> 80 % field capacity).     

Crack patterns in clayey soils: Experiments and modeling

The paper presents an experimental and numerical study to investigate the behavior of desiccated clayey soils. The performed tests permit to evaluate the crack pattern as well as the tensile strength as a function of suction. A new model that relates the porosity evolution to the suction and to the tensile strength was developed and implemented in the finite element program CODE_BRIGHT. The proposed model captured the initiation and propagation of cracks in a thin layer of desiccated clay and predicted crack patterns in terms of the Minkowski densities (i.e. average crack length and crack intensity factor). The effect of the heterogeneity of the tested specimens, modeled by random clusters, was also quantified. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An automatic time increment selection scheme for simulation of elasto-viscoplastic consolidation of clayey soils

An automatic time increment selection scheme for numerical analysis of long-term response of geomaterials is presented. The scheme is simple, rational and stable. Governed by a simple empirical expression, it can adaptively adjust the time increments depending on the strain rate-dependent temporal history of the material response. The proposed expression requires only a few parameters whose selection is a trivial task since they have a small effect on accuracy but have a significant effect on computational efficiency. This generalization has been made possible because of the enforcement of certain predefined control criteria to avoid extreme conditions. If any of the control criteria is satisfied, the computation is restarted by going a few time steps back to ensure the smoothness of the computed responses and time increments are again continuously adjusted through the governing equation provided. Performance of the automatic time increment selection scheme is investigated through finite element analyses of the long-term consolidation response of clay under different geotechnical profiles and loading conditions. Both elastic and elasto-viscoplastic constitutive relations are considered, including the consideration of the destructuration effects of geomaterials. Numerical results show that the performance of the automatic time increment selection scheme is reasonably excellent. While offering reasonable accuracy of the numerical solution, it can ensure temporal stability at optimal computational efficiency. In addition to the Euler implicit method, the automatic time increment selection scheme also performs well even when the explicit fourth-order Runge–Kutta method is employed for the integration of time derivatives.     

FEM validation of a double porosity elastic model for consolidation of structurally complex clayey soils

Laboratory consolidation of structured clayey soils is analysed in this paper. The research is carried out by two different methods. The first one treats the soil as an isotropic homogeneous equivalent Double Porosity (DP) medium. The second method rests on the extensive application of the Finite Element Method (FEM) to combinations of different soils, composing 2D or fully 3D ordered structured media that schematically discretize the complex material. Two reference problems, representing typical situations of 1D laboratory consolidation of structured soils, are considered. For each problem, solution is obtained through integration of the equations governing the consolidation of the DP medium as well as via FEM applied to the ordered schemes composed of different materials. The presence of conventional experimental devices to ensure the drainage of the sample is taken into account through appropriate boundary conditions. Comparison of FEM results with theoretical results clearly points out the ability of the DP model to represent consolidation processes of structurally complex soils. Limits of applicability of the DP model may arise when the rate of fluid exchange between the two porous systems is represented through oversimplified relations. Results of computations, obtained having assigned reasonable values to the meso‐structural and to the experimental apparatus parameters, point out that a partially efficient drainage apparatus strongly influences the distribution along the sample and the time evolution of the interstitial water pressure acting in both systems of pores. Data of consolidation tests in a Rowe's cell on samples of artificially fissured clays reported in the literature are compared with the analytical and numerical results showing a significant agreement. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of ultimate bond strength for soil nails in clayey soils using maximum likelihood method

This paper presents a maximum likelihood estimation of the ultimate bond strength for soil nails in clays. Both uncensored and censored ultimate bond strength data for soil nails are collected from the literature. Based on the concept of maximum likelihood, a log-likelihood function is constructed for estimating the mean and coefficient of variation (COV) of the ultimate bond strength jointly using the two types of data. The mean and COV are determined as the pair that maximises the log-likelihood function. Two distribution models (normal and lognormal) are used for the estimation. A comparison of the relative competence between the two candidate distribution models that are adopted for describing the collected uncensored and censored data is performed using the Bayesian Information Criterion. Example designs of soil nail walls against internal pullout limit state of nails and overall stability limit state are provided to demonstrate the benefit of taking censored data into account for estimation of the ultimate bond strength of soil nails.     

Influencing factors of geometrical structure of surface shrinkage cracks in clayey soils

In order to investigate the effects of temperature, thickness of soil layer, wetting and drying cycles and soil types on geometrical structure of surface shrinkage cracks in clayey soils, special software Crack Image Analysis System (CIAS) for analyzing shrinkage crack patterns was developed. Eight groups of soil samples were prepared and subjected to drying to crack in laboratory. The number of crack segments and intersections, average crack length, width and aggregate area, crack intensity factor (CIF), and the corresponding probability density functions (PDF) of these parameters were determined by analyzing several crack patterns derived from different experimental conditions. The results show that the soil cracking behavior and the geometrical structure of crack patterns are significantly influenced by these considered factors. There is a tendency of crack length, width, aggregate area and their most probable value (MPV) related to the PDF increases with temperature increase. With thicker soil layers, the average crack length, width, aggregate area and CIF are increased, and the main distribution ranges of crack length, width and aggregate area are increased also. When the soil is subjected to multiple wetting–drying cycles, the soil surface generates more irregular and coarse cracks. The number of short and narrow crack segments increases significantly, and the CIF decreases with an increase in wetting–drying cycles. It is also observed that the extent of cracking is directly related to the soil fines fraction and its plasticity index (I_P). The greatest CIF and crack width are observed in the soils with the largest fines fraction and highest I_P. In addition, the ratio of numbers of crack segments to intersections ranges from 1.5 to 2, and cracking mainly takes place in three stages: main-cracks initiation stage; sub-cracks initiation stage; terminal stable stage.     

Shear strength behaviour of compacted clayey soils percolated with an alkaline solution

In the French model of deep nuclear wastes repositories, the galleries should be backfilled with excavated argillite after the site has been filled. After thousands of years, the degradation of the concrete lining of the galleries will generate an alkaline solute (pH > 12) that would circulate through the backfill. The goal of this paper is to describe the impact of such solute circulation on the properties of compacted argillite. Since additives (bentonite, sand or lime) are often introduced in the remoulded argillite for the backfill, such mixtures were also studied. Saturated-portlandite water was circulated through compacted samples for 3, 6 and 12 months at 60 °C. The shear strength behaviour of the samples was determined with triaxial tests. The microstructure of the samples was analysed via mercury intrusion porosimetry tests and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the influence of the alkaline fluid on the properties of the argillite is a function of the nature of the additive. In the case of the calcareous sand, no major changes were observed. The pure argillite underwent a slight decrease in its cohesion due to limited dissolution of its clayey particles. Conversely, intense alteration of the bentonite–argillite mixture was observed, and the shear strength behaviour was modified. Lime addition improved the mechanical characteristics of the argillite.     

Stabilization of clayey soils with Tunisian phosphogypsum: effect on geotechnical properties

Phosphogypsum and cement have been reported to improve the physicochemical properties of clayey soils. The present study aimed to investigate the behavior of various soils with different particle sizes and chemical and mineralogical compositions in the presence of phosphogypsum and cement mixed at various proportions. These hydraulic binders were assayed on three different soil samples, and their effects were examined using a battery of standardized tests, including the Atterberg limit, uniaxial compressive strength, Californian Bearing Rate (CBR) test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), microstructure observation (SEM), and X-ray diffraction tests. The results revealed a significant effect associated with the variation of phosphogypsum content in the soils. Keeping the cement content constant in the mixture, the continuous addition of phosphogypsum was noted to allow shifting the domain of plasticity to the highest water contents, which reduces the sensitivity of the soil to water and to increase the strength of soil. An increase of CBR index with the addition of phosphogypsum and cement is obtained. This treatment could have positively influenced the optimum moisture content and the maximal dry density. The mixture of soil-phosphogypsum and cement could give new forms such as ettringite and hydrate indicators of the improvement of the mechanical properties of the soil. This improvement varies from one soil to another, depending on its granularity and its mineralogy. The mineralogical composition of the soil, particularly kaolinite, amount, and size grading, have direct effects on the physical and mechanical properties of the soils under investigation.