Relative Density Dependency of Mechanical Properties of Sands

Abstract

ABSTRACT It is well known that even a single soil shows different mechanical properties with variation in any of many influencing factors. Among these, the density of soil is a most important factor in many geotechnical problems such as subsidence of grounds, stability of soil structures and liquefaction potential of sandy soils. Density is a key to reliable answers. In this study some 80 granular materials were used, and triaxial specimens with several relative densities were prepared; a series of conventional drained triaxial compression tests were conducted on the specimens. From experimental results, the dependency of deformation-failure behaviors of sands on relative density was comparatively examined, and the degree of relative density dependency was evaluated by the indices introduced in this study. The influence of primary properties, such as density, hardness, and shape and size of grains, on the degree of relative density dependency is discussed, as a subject of this study. It was found that the degree of relative density dependency is variable with primary properties. The degree of relative density dependency can be estimated from some index properties; void ratio extent (emax — emin) was selected as a promising parameter for evaluating the relative density dependency of deformation-failure behaviors of sands.