Experimental study on stiffness degradation and monotonic response of reconstituted volcanic ash induced by internal erosion

Abstract

Volcanic ash soils are a common geological body in earthquake prone regions, and they are widely used as construction materials. The present study discusses the contribution of initial density, stress state and seepage time on seepage-induced internal instability, stiffness degradation, and monotonic response of volcanic ash collected from Satozuka, Japan. Reconstituted specimens are tested using an erosion triaxial apparatus. The results exhibit that the rate of erosion is influenced by initial density, stress state and hydraulic gradient. The mercury intrusion porosimeter tests are conducted to explore the distribution of constriction sizes after erosion. Post-erosion stress-strain responses are also affected by the stress state during erosion, initial density and seepage time. Particularly, internal erosion affects the dilatancy response of relatively loose specimens and has an impact on the critical state line, brittleness, and peak strength. Further, the maximum shear modulus of eroded soil is found to be greater than that of non-eroded soil, mainly due to the particle rearrangement and removal of fines. However, a sharp reduction in stiffness during monotonic shearing is maybe evidence that temporary reinforced soil packing collapses at a large strain. This indicates that the elastic yield surface has expanded for eroded soils.