Drained shear strength of carbonate sands based on energy approach

Abstract

In this paper, the drained triaxial shear strength of four carbonate sands having different physical properties is investigated based on energy approach. Three sands were obtained from north shores of the Persian Gulf, Iran, and one from the south of England. The studied sands showed different shear strength in relation to different particle size distribution, grains shapes, and fabric. Analyses based on the energy approach in these soils with crushable grains demonstrated that the total internal friction angle consists of three components: friction angle between soil particles, dilation angle, and particle breakage angle. It was considered that inter-particle friction, dilation, and particle breakage cause different shear strength and volumetric strains for each sand. The consumed energy for particle breakage and particle breakage angle is added with increasing confining pressure and total consumed energy. However, regardless of soil type, the particle breakage angle to total internal friction angle ratio is related to the consumed energy increment for particle breakage to total consumed energy ratio at peak point of the deviatoric stress–axial strain response.