Experimental Study on the Combined Effect of Cyclic and Static Loads on the Mechanical Properties of the Saturated Soft Clay Material

Abstract

The combined effect of cyclic and static loads on the mechanical properties of the soft clay was experimentally investigated by conducting undrained cyclic triaxial tests on Shanghai clay. The results show that an increment in either static or cyclic load increases excess pore pressures and axial strains. For a given value of combined cyclic and static loads, the mechanical properties of the soft clay are more sensitive to the cyclic load. Furthermore, the accumulated excess pore pressure and axial strain for a larger cyclic stress ratio and a lower combined stress ratio might overcome that for a lower cyclic stress ratio and a higher combined stress ratio. The mechanical properties of the soft clay after the cyclic load was unloaded were also discussed. It was observed that the excess pore pressure and axial strain under the static load alone decrease gradually with time. The trend of them largely depends on the ratio of cyclic load to static load.