Computer Simulation of Creep of Clay

Abstract

The variable character of the particle contacts in natural illitic clay implies a spectrum of bond strengths. When a sufficiently high external shear stress is applied some weaker interlinking particle groups are transformed to domains which act as slip units. In creep induced by a constant deviatoric stress, the number and heights of thermally activable barriers to slip will vary in space and time. This is encompassed by a stochastic model, a simple version of which was used in a computer simulation. The dependence of the strain on time was found to be logarithmic, in good agreement with experiments. (ASCE)