Abstract
The 1/6th Rule of Triaxial Testing says that particles larger than 1/6th the diameter of the specimen will skew test results when not discarded. Although this rule is documented in the procedures of government laboratories, its origin is obscure. In this paper, the rule is derived as a corollary of granular stability. The stability derivation involves particle-continuum analysis. However, instead of a discrete element formulation or Cosserat mechanics, this paper uses the classical solution of Sokolovskii that is the modern basis of Terzaghi bearing capacity theory. Stability of a soil particle is addressed within the continuum by matching leading terms of series expansions, which is also known as the singular perturbation method. This finding is similar to previous derivations involving deformation of geosynthetic reinforced soil.
Highlights
The 1/6th Rule of Triaxial Testing says that particles larger than 1/6th the diameter of the specimen will skew test results when not discarded
This rule is documented in the procedures of the American Society for Testing and Materials, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Department of Transportation, and many other organizations [1,2,3]
The previous paper shows that sheet reinforced soil has instabilities due to large ratios of spacing to diameter (S/D) and of spacing to breadth (S/B)
Summary
Geotechnical engineers are familiar with the theory of soil bearing capacity due to Terzaghi [9]. It originated with solutions by Prandtl [10] and Reissner [11] to the equation of Kötter [12] for Mohr-Coulomb materials. Sokolovskii is associated with general slip line theory. This paper examines slip lines in a layer of aggregate compressed between two tensile materials. The equation expresses the ratio of mean pressure at mid-layer (pm) and mean pressure at the platen (p) as a function of change in shear stress (Δθ) at the soil-platen interface at the moment of failure. The exponential of Equation (8) finds its way into Equations (2) and (3) because W and P are shown to be related
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
