Mechanical behaviour of a weakly structured soil at low confining stress
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Le, Truong
Airey, David
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Artificially cemented soft soil samples were produced by mixing kaolin, beta hemihydrate and water. Oedometer and triaxial tests were performed on this material, which was shown to demonstrate many of the characteristics of natural soft clays. Tests were performed on the material at a range of consolidation pressures and at different strain rates. It was shown that the shear strength behaviour of the material exhibits complex characteristics that require explicit consideration of soil structure at the loading stage. Similarly to other natural clays, the critical state could not be achieved in the triaxial apparatus; rather, it was shown that a post-rupture state was achieved which appears remote from the intrinsic critical state. Different normalisation techniques were compared. It is recommended that normalisation of behaviour should be based on the virgin consolidation line as it defines a space in which the soil can only exist due to structure.
Date Issued
2023-02
Date Acceptance
2021-09-17
Citation
Géotechnique, 2023, 73 (2), pp.128-142
ISSN
0016-8505
Publisher
Thomas Telford Ltd.
Start Page
128
End Page
142
Journal / Book Title
Géotechnique
Volume
73
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Thomas Telford Ltd
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.21.00035
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-11-03