Accumulated Deformation of Sand with Initial Shear Stress and Effective Stress State Lying Near Failure Conditions

Abstract

This study concerns the development of residual deformations in soil subjected to static shear and cyclic stress components. This problem plays an important role in such situation as natural slopes, slopes of embankments and dams, quay walls. Among them, the present study focuses in particular on cyclic undrained behavior with static shear stress. Furthermore, in the case of structures with static shear stress and subjected to the earthquake shaking, the forces acting in the shear plane are generally one-way cyclic loading without reversing its direction. Experimental research was focused on the accumulation of shear strain in the soil element during one-way cyclic loading (torsional stress loading only on positive or negative side). Series of torsional shear tests on hollow cylindrical specimens of Toyoura sand with relative density of 40% and 60%, with isotropic stress condition under effective pressure of 98 kPa, 196 kPa and 294 kPa as well as anisotropic conditions were made in order to investigate the incremental shear strain per cycle during cyclic loading. The level of static shear stress was set equal to half of the ultimate stress under drained conditions (factor of safety equal to two). The experimental results showed that the presence of static shear stress increases the resistance of sandy soil. The experimental results of the shear strain increment per cycle and the number of cycles were plotted in a logarithmic scale to show a linear relationship with each other. Based on these findings a simple model for prediction of shear strain was developed.