Cyclic resistance of two unsaturated silty sands against soil liquefaction

Abstract

The changes of the cyclic resistance of two silty sands under unsaturated, partially saturated and fully saturated conditions are examined based on a series of undrained cyclic tests conducted using triaxial test apparatus specially equipped for testing unsaturated soils as well as ordinary triaxial test apparatus for testing partially saturated and fully saturated soils. Based on the observations of volumetric strain, pore air and pore water pressures of unsaturated soil specimens, the possibility of soil liquefaction triggering under different degrees of saturation is examined and discussed. The changes in the cyclic resistance under different degrees of saturation are then examined. Those two unsaturated silty sands with different grain size compositions are found to give rise to different responses on the volumetric strain as well as pore air and pore water pressure developments during undrained cyclic loading, leading to different relations between cyclic resistance and degree of saturation, covering unsaturated, partially saturated and fully saturated conditions.