Particle loss: An initial investigation into size effects and stress-dilatancy

Drained triaxial tests have been performed to explore the effect of particle loss on shearing behaviour and critical states in granular mixtures. The mixtures comprise Leighton Buzzard sand (d₅₀ = 0.8 mm), to which was added 15% by mass of salt particles of different nominal sizes: 0.063 mm, 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm. Shearing behaviours before and after particle loss (by dissolution) were compared. A good fit is observed between the test data and a stress-dilatancy relationship for the post-dissolution tests, highlighting the ability of the stress-dilatancy analysis as a means to interpret the effects of particle loss on shearing. It was noted that critical state strength parameter M is determined by the post-dissolution grading regardless of size of removed particle. However, the duration of contractant volumetric strain increased with the larger removed particles (0.25 mm & 0.5 mm) even when initial specific volumes were virtually identical. It is suggested that a loose volumetric state is reached if the sand particle network is initially disrupted by the amount and/or size of salt particles, which following dissolution results in structural or fabric phenomena that are not reflected in scalar volumetric measures such as specific volume.     

降雨条件下土体滑坡的有限元数值分析

将Duncan-Chang模型引入饱和－非饱和土的本构关系模型，建立了饱和－非饱和土的统一的非线性弹性模型，并应用于降雨滑坡的机理分析，由实例分析得知，利用饱和－非饱和土的统一的非线性弹性模型来分析由于大气降雨而引起的土体滑坡的形成与发展过程是可行的，也是一种有益的探索。     

地下水埋深对冻融土壤水分入渗特性影响的试验研究

本文基于冻融期间大田测坑不同地下水埋深条件下，自然冻结土壤水分入渗试验，分析讨论了地下水埋深对冻融土壤水分入渗能力、相对稳渗率的影响和冻融期间土壤入渗能力的变化特点。结果表明：地下水埋深对冻融土壤入渗能力的影响十分明显；土壤入渗能力随地下水埋深的增大而增大；冻融土壤的相对稳渗率随地下水埋深的减小而减小；冻融期间地下水埋深小的土壤的入渗能力始终小于地下水埋深大的土壤的入渗能力。地下水埋深对冻融土壤水分入渗能力的影响通过其对地表土壤含水量的影响而实现。研究结果对于指导季节性冻土地区冬、春灌溉合理灌水技术参数的确定具有实际意义     

科威特Boubyan岛土体工程特性研究

基于科威特Boubyan岛海港项目一期路桥及地基处理工程,对Boubyan岛土体进行了原位测试,并对199个原状土样进行了室内试验,同时,对典型土样进行了淋溶前后的直剪试验。试验分析结果表明：科威特Boubyan岛土体属于粉质黏土,为超氯滨海盐渍土,具有砂土特性,且具有低含水量、低液塑限、低灵敏度、低强度(遇水易失稳崩解)、高压缩性等典型盐渍土的工程特性;自然成因、可溶盐含量和颗粒表面电荷密度是Boubyan岛土体具有低强度、低液塑限等宏观工程特性的主要因素。     

湿地湖泊相软土加固方案及固结沉降离心模型试验研究

为研究湿地湖泊相软土的软基加固方案及固结沉降规律,分别进行真空堆载联合预压和水泥土搅拌桩复合地基加固湿地湖泊相软土路基的离心模型试验,对比分析2种方案的沉降发展和土压力变化情况。试验结果表明:相同条件下,真空堆载联合预压固结沉降发展更快,第30天固结度达到80%以上,第90天达到90%以上,且各测点土压力值更小;真空堆载联合预压下路堤横断面沉降分布更均匀,但后期沉降差较大,真空堆载联合预压的工后沉降约为水泥土搅拌桩复合地基的一半,加固效果更好;由含水率测试可知,真空堆载联合预压的影响深度至埋深10 m以下;2个模型的沉降拟合公式都为指数型函数,与实际沉降拟合较好,可预测长期的固结沉降。真空堆载联合预压方案优于水泥土搅拌桩复合地基加固方案。     

粘土矿物对重金属镉的吸附研究

通过等温吸附试验,研究了粘土矿物膨润土、海泡石、凹凸棒石对Cd^2 的吸附情况,并与土壤对Cd^2 的吸附情况进行了对比。试验表明,几种粘土矿物对Cd^2 有很好的吸附作用,可用于重金属污染土壤的治理。pH值是影响吸附效果的一个重要因素。     

Unsaturated elasto-plastic constitutive equations for compacted kaolin under consolidated drained and shearing-infiltration conditions

Transient process of water flow changes the equilibrium conditions of an unsaturated soil, resulting in volume change of a soil. The volume change alters the hydraulic properties of the soil and thus influences the transient process of water flow through the soil. Therefore, the interactive processes between stress-strain behavior and pore-water pressure are the primary processes affecting the mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. This paper presents coupled elasto-plastic constitutive equations for unsaturated compacted kaolin under consolidated drained and shearing-infiltration conditions. The study focused on the development of the suction increase (SI) yield curve that incorporates changes in matric suction during transient processes. In addition, the relationship of change in specific water volume with respect to net mean stress and matric suction was also proposed by incorporating the hysteresis of soil-water characteristic curve. The simulated results by the proposed constitutive model were compared with those obtained from isotropically consolidated drained tests and shearing infiltration tests of compacted kaolin to verify the proposed model. The simulated results are in close agreement with the experimental results.     

Evaluation of tensile load-strain characteristics of geogrids through in-soil tensile tests

This paper evaluates in-soil tensile load-strain characteristics of geogrids with the help of a custom designed and developed in-soil tensile setup in the laboratory. Displacement controlled in-soil tensile tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of normal stress, soil type, and presence of sand-sandwiched layer, on the tensile load-strain characteristics of geogrid. Confinement of geogrid within the soil and application of normal stress were found to increase the mobilized tensile load and secant tensile stiffness of geogrid. Secant stiffness improvement factors were determined to quantify the improvement in tensile load-strain characteristics of geogrid under confinement, on comparison to in-isolation values. Geogrid was observed to exhibit lower secant tensile stiffness when embedded in marginal soil, moist-compacted at wet of optimum. However, the concept of sand-sandwiched geogrid was found to improve the tensile load-strain behaviour of geogrids embedded in marginal soil compacted at wet of optimum.     

A miniature triaxial apparatus for investigating the micromechanics of granular soils with in situ X-ray micro-tomography scanning

The development of a miniature triaxial apparatus is presented. In conjunction with an X-ray micro-tomography (termed as X-ray μCT hereafter) facility and advanced image processing techniques, this apparatus can be used for in situ investigation of the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils under shear. The apparatus allows for triaxial testing of a miniature dry sample with a size of \mathrm{8}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm}\times \mathrm{16}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm} (diameter \times height). In situ triaxial testing of a 0.4–0.8 mm Leighton Buzzard sand (LBS) under a constant confining pressure of 500 kPa is presented. The evolutions of local porosities (i.e., the porosities of regions associated with individual particles), particle kinematics (i.e., particle translation and particle rotation) of the sample during the shear are quantitatively studied using image processing and analysis techniques. Meanwhile, a novel method is presented to quantify the volumetric strain distribution of the sample based on the results of local porosities and particle tracking. It is found that the sample, with nearly homogenous initial local porosities, starts to exhibit obvious inhomogeneity of local porosities and localization of particle kinematics and volumetric strain around the peak of deviatoric stress. In the post-peak shear stage, large local porosities and volumetric dilation mainly occur in a localized band. The developed triaxial apparatus, in its combined use of X-ray μCT imaging techniques, is a powerful tool to investigate the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils.     

Performance of a pavement foundation system based on the partial compensation of masses method

The system of the partial compensation of masses in the lacustrine zone of the Mexico Basin has been conceptualized, developed, used and improved over the past five decades as a foundation alternative for different types of roadways. This kind of foundation has been used in highways and runways built on lacustrine soils to reduce the settlement that can affect the service and operation conditions of those structures. In the construction of the new Mexico City International Airport in the Texcoco Lake area, various alternatives for runway foundations were evaluated through different test sections that were constructed to identify which of them would yield an adequate transfer of stress and prevent excessive total and differential deformations of the soil deposits. In this work, the behavior of the test section of the system of the partial compensation of masses, built in the Texcoco Lake area, is studied. An exploration campaign was performed; it consisted of different field and laboratory tests to determine the stratigraphic profile and the index and mechanical properties of the soil strata. Numerical models were applied using the finite element software PLAXIS 2D to analyze the behavior of the test section and to determine the maintenance frequency required to preserve the functionality of future runways. To validate the capability of the numerical models to properly simulate the stress-strain behavior of the test section, a comparative analysis was performed between the data obtained from the instrumentation installed on the test section and the results obtained from the finite element software. Once the numerical models were calibrated, the medium- and long-term behaviors of the test section were predicted, and the evolution over time of its surface geometry and transverse slopes were obtained.