Drained Shear Strength Research Articles

Prediction of Undrained Shear Strength Utilizing a Hybrid Stacking Model Enhanced by Bayesian Optimization Algorithm

Undrained shear strength serves as one of the crucial indicators for analyzing the strength and assessing the stability of clay. To enhance the predictive capability of undrained shear strength, we introduced a hybrid stacking model, the KSMRX, which leverages the Bayesian optimization algorithm. Comparative analyses against base models revealed that the KSMRX model significantly enhanced prediction accuracy, elevating it from 51.3% to 72.5%. This substantial improvement underscored the efficacy of our approach in predicting drained shear strength. Moreover, when compared with the prediction accuracies of 15 other hybrid models, the KSMRX hybrid stacking model consistently demonstrated superior performance. Therefore, this study not only presents a novel and more convenient computational approach, facilitating the acquisition of highly accurate geotechnical parameters, but also serves as a reference for the implementation of geotechnical engineering projects.

Influence of Xanthan Gum-Based Soil Conditioners on the Geotechnical Properties of Soils

The impact of climate change has become increasingly severe in forests, where droughts and strong winds on the one hand and extreme rainfall events on the other hand can damage forest ecosystems. To mitigate the effects of drought and enhance soil water retention capacity, three types of soil conditioners (SCs), labeled SC_R, SC_CG, and SC_ZZC, were developed as part of the European project ONEforest. All the conditioners are based on Xanthan gum and have different types and amounts of fillers with diverse cellulose fiber lengths. These can offer the potential to optimize the SC characteristics, e.g., water absorption, water retention, and mechanical stability. This paper focuses on the influence of fillers in the SCs on the geotechnical properties of forest soils from Ljubelj in the Alpine part of Slovenia (S1), Catalonia, northeastern Spain (S2), and Heldburg, Germany (S3). The results show an increase of 53% to 100% in the water absorption of treated soil. A less favorable impact of the SCs was found on the drained shear strength and the compressibility. The drained shear strength of untreated forest soils in a saturated state was S1 c′ = 4.4 kPa, φ′ = 33.5°; S2 c′ = 1.4 kPa, φ′ = 30.0°; and S3 c′ = 12 kPa, φ′ = 28.0°. The addition of SCs results in a reduction in the drained shear strength of saturated mixtures. The reduction depends on the dosage of added SC—whether it is a low (L) or a high (H) dosage. For instance, when the soil S1 was treated with a low dosage of the soil conditioner SC_R, it demonstrated a cohesion (c′) of 11 kPa and a friction angle (φ′) of 27.0°. However, increasing the dosage of the SC_R led to a decrease in both the cohesion and the friction angle for the same soil (c′ = 7.7 kPa, φ′ = 25.0°). Additionally, the type of soil conditioner also impacts the drained shear strength. Among the mixtures with a high dosage of the SC_R, SC_CG, or SC_ZZC, those containing the SC_CG with the longest fibers stand out, demonstrating the highest friction angle. Therefore, longer fibers can be a promising component of the SCs to reduce the negative influence of XG on the mechanical properties of treated soils.

Role of Biochar in Drained Shear Strength Enhancement and Ammonium Removal of Biostimulated MICP-Treated Calcareous Sand

Role of Biochar in Drained Shear Strength Enhancement and Ammonium Removal of Biostimulated MICP-Treated Calcareous Sand

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR LARGE-STRAIN SHEAR RESISTANCE OF KAOLIN CLAYS UNDER CHEMO-MECHANICAL LOADINGS

The normal stress, strain rate, and pore-fluid chemistry significantly influence the large-strain shear response of clays and received great attention for engineering practice. The effect of inundation pressure, consolidation pressure, pH of aqueous solutions, and di-electric on the shear response of kaolin was experimentally investigated. The strain-softening behaviour was observed under normally consolidated (NC) conditions as observed in the past studies on different clays. However, this anomalous shear response with volumetric contraction is not understood. Thus, for the first time, the strain-softening behaviour of NC clays was addressed from an effective stress approach using physico-chemical analysis of kaolin. In this study, the drained shear strength response of NC kaolin was investigated under physico-chemical influence using ring shear tests. A theoretical framework was developed by including micro-mechanism of clay fabric evolution during shear and explicit expressions for electro-chemical forces. The proposed framework provides useful expressions for predicting the shear strength behaviour of kaolin clays, which were validated with experimental data from the present study and literature studies. The new conceptual framework satisfactorily explained the peak and residual shear strength variations under different chemo-mechanical loading for NC conditions. The proposed model adequately predicted the effective stress paths, peak, and residual envelopes in ring shear stress conditions for normally consolidated kaolin soils

Dilatancy Effects on Surface Foundations on Dry Sand

This paper presents the results of finite-element analyses of rigid-surface strip foundations on dry cohesionless soil subjected to displacement-controlled vertical loading. A two-surface constitutive model with a non-associated flow rule, representing the full range of pressure-dependent drained shear strength and volume change behavior of dry sand, is employed to model the soil. A range of foundation widths and sand initial relative densities is covered. The results show that, for narrow, rigid-strip foundations, the conventional bearing-capacity calculation provides a reasonable indication of the load-carrying capacity of the foundation. However, there is no peak in the load-carrying capacity for wide foundations, and the load–deformation curve exhibits stiffening behavior, even at large settlements; this is particularly apparent at larger values of the initial relative density. Based on the results, it is observed that with the increase in vertical foundation loading, the vertical stiffness of the foundation increases with each loading increment, due to the tendency of the dense sand to become more dilatant with the increase in confining pressure. At large settlements, the state of the sand beneath the foundation approaches the critical state. Settlement vectors beneath the foundations on dense sand reveal that the displacements approximate one-dimensional compression.

Geological and engineering geological characteristics of surface alluviums in the Gorgan city

Engineering properties of soils and the 3D modeling of geological formations are widely used in site investigations and the preparation of geological hazard maps. The present study was conducted to characterize the engineering geological properties of the young surface alluviums of the Gorgan city (Iran) to a depth of 25 m and 3D modeling of their geology using boreholes data. To this end, after determining the location of the available boreholes on the aerial map of Gorgan, four hypothetical cross-sections were considered in the North-South and East-West directions. Then, the borehole data were marked on each section and their 2D geological cross-sections were manually drawn using correlation of the similar layers. In the next step, by expanding the information of these sections, a 3D geological model of Gorgan city was prepared using a conceptual-observational method. According to the evidence from the boreholes and field observations, the depositional environment of Gorgan alluviums was an alluvial fan created by the Ziarat River. Additionally, in terms of engineering characteristics of alluviums, the Gorgan subsurface soils can be divided into four engineering units, including upper clay unit (UCU), middle gravel unit (MGU), lower clay unit (LCU), and sandy unit (SU), which share the same engineering characteristics. Finally, the results of tests performed on samples from different depths were employed to calculate the engineering geological characteristics of each unit, including Atterberg limits, compressibility, undrained shear strength, and drained shear strength parameters.

Influence of Particle Breakage on Drained Shear Strength of Calcareous Sands

Abstract The consolidated drained triaxial shear tests have been performed in this work to investigate the shearing behavior of calcareous sands sampled from the South China Sea, with the focus on ...

Statistical Insights Regarding Fully Softened Shear Strength

The fully softened shear strength (FSS) concept is a practical approximation of the mobilized drained shear strength of first-time slides in stiff-fissured clays. There has been a recent increase in interest in measurement and estimation of FSS secant friction angle (FSS-ϕ′sec) to develop correlations for preliminary design and cost approximation. However, such correlations do not help in understanding the cause and effect relationship between soil properties and FSS-ϕ′sec. In this study, a laboratory database containing FSS-ϕ′sec values (output) and soil properties (inputs) of several overconsolidated clays is used to develop a predictive model for FSS-ϕ′sec (output or response). The goal is to detect which inputs from the whole parameter space dominate the response while creating an accurate prediction tool to provide statistical insights regarding the FSS-ϕ′sec. The proposed methodology is used to assess and quantify the relationships among variables, estimate testing device effects on FSS-ϕ′sec, and analyze the danger of extrapolation due to model constraints. The applicability of the predicted FSS-ϕ′sec is also evaluated and compared. Recommendations regarding the studied prediction tools for slope stability design in stiff-fissured clays are provided.

Hydrothermal clays and their influence on slope stability in residual soils of Southern Brazil

Clayey veins may develop in areas of hydrothermal activity by seepage of hot water through the soil and rock. In a slope located in Southern Brazil, such veins occur along the slip surface of some landslides. This paper aims to characterize this kind of clay and investigate its influence over the stability of that slope. An electro resistivity survey had been conducted to characterize the soil profile, and SPT boreholes were used to confirm geophysical data. An experimental laboratory campaign included the investigation of chemical, mineralogical, and geotechnical properties of these clay veins and the embedding residual soil. Drained shear strength of residual soil was measured through triaxial tests, and residual strength was measured for both materials using a ring shear apparatus. A series of limit equilibrium analyses were conducted to assess the role of clay veins on the slope stability. The geometrical discretization of veins is a difficult task, and an approach based on the assumption of overall shear strength is required to establish the operational shear strength parameters for this slope. A series of back analyses showed that failure surfaces consistent with those observed in the field were only reproduced when the adopted shear strength parameters of the soil mass were c’ = 5 kPa and φ’ = 20°. Considering the measured shear strength parameters of the hydrothermal clay c’ = (0 and φ’ = 8.5°) and the pattern in which the clay veins occur, it seems that they do not fully control the slope stability, but they significantly reduce the global cohesion and the average mass friction angle.

ANÁLISE 2D E 3D DA ESTABILIDADE DA BARRAGEM DE FUNDÃO

RESUMO: A falha da Barragem de Fundão, o maior desastre de seu tipo no mundo, foi estudada por Morgenstern et al. (2016) através de abordagens bidimensionais. A investigação realizada não apontou mecanismos de instabilidade de taludes como sendo as causas do desastre. No entanto, o formato complexo da face da barragem, com regiões côncavas e convexas, não foi considerado devido às limitações das ferramentas empregadas. Este trabalho apresenta análises bidimensionais (2D) e tridimensionais (3D), teoricamente mais rigorosas e adequadas para a geometria da barragem. As análises de estabilidade do maciço foram realizadas utilizando o Método Geral das Fatias e das Colunas (GLE), por meio do software SVSLOPE. Foram realizadas buscas por superfícies críticas 2D e 3D, ao longo de todas as zonas da estrutura. Considerando-se parâmetros de resistência drenada, observou-se que Fundão se encontraria em condições de elevada segurança, sendo o menor Fator de Segurança igual a 1,744. Valores próximos de 1,0 foram obtidos considerando rejeitos na condição não drenada, supostamente menos representativa das condições reais de campo. Os Fatores de Segurança 3D se mostraram muito próximos dos 2D, porém com variações significativas nas regiões côncava e convexa. Desta forma, conclui-se que o formato próximo à região do recuo exige maior atenção e análises 3D podem identificar as regiões críticas.
 ABSTRACT: The failure of the Fundão Dam, the largest disaster of its kind in the world, was studied by Morgenstern et al. (2016) using two-dimensional approaches. The carried out investigation did not point to mechanisms of slope instability as the causes of the disaster. However, the complex shape of the dam and its concave and convex regions were not originally considered due to limitations of the analysis tools employed. This paper presents two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) analyses that are more rigorous and well suited for the Fundão dam geometry. Slope stability analyses were accomplished using the General Limit Equilibrium Method of Slices and Columns (GLE) using the SVSLOPE software. Critical slip surfaces were searched in 2D and 3D, across the entire dam face. Drained shear strength parameters led to Factors of Safety that would indicate fairly stable conditions, with a lowest Factor of Safety of 1.744. Values close to 1.0 were obtained considering undrained conditions of the tailings, which are supposedly less representative of field conditions. The 3D factors of safety were very close to the 2D values, but with noticeably higher variations near the concave and convex regions. This leads to the conclusion that the dam shape near the setback region requires closer examination by means of 3D analyses that enable the identification of critical zones.

INFLUENCE OF CLAY CONTENTS ON DRAINED SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETERS OF RESIDUAL SOIL FOR SLOPE STABILITY EVALUATION

Consolidated drained triaxial compression tests (CD) were conducted to determine the compression properties of remolded samples collected from hillslope in residual soil. The test results showed that the effective drained shear strength of residual soil was primarily affected by the degree of weathering according to depth, parent rock material, and clay contents and also influenced by initial moisture content. These samples were classified as silt soils of high to low plasticity. CD tests were performed on samples prepared under 100 and 200 kPa remolding pressure with three different confining pressures of about 50, 100 and 150 kPa. Predicted results showed that the soil strength increased with increasing samples’ density for those who prepared with a higher remolding pressure. According to the soil composition, a clear decrease in soil cohesion was observed for samples collected at a deeper depth, while a further increase in the effective internal friction angle was observed for samples collected with a lower depth. However, this explains the significant influence of clay contents that can be represented as a relevant relation. Therefore, the results indicated that the studied residual soils have physical and geotechnical properties that are highly dependent on the clay and initial water contents. Then, the concept of long-term stability analysis of hillslope of Balai Cerap area (in UTM/ Malaysia) was presented in the form of factors of safety as discussed later in this study by employing Geo-Studio program (SLOPE/W application) with Limit Equilibrium Method.

Quantifying the influence of failure surface asperities on the basal shear resistance of translational landslides

For active landslides, drained shear strength is often determined from either a forensic slope stability analysis or laboratory residual shear testing. Both analyses often yield different shear strength values, often attributed to the complex, micro-scale behavior of the sheared material. However, subsurface asperities, such as cobbles, boulders, discontinuities, steps, and other geologic anomalies, may also influence the effective resistance realized along a highly sheared slip surface, thus influencing slope stability, and consequently landslide forensics. In this study, the influence of subsurface irregularities on effective mobilized residual shear strength, ϕr, and shear resistance from basal asperities, ϕa, is considered for idealized geometry under plane strain and three-dimensional conditions. The results demonstrate that even a modest presence of subsurface asperities may impart significant shear resistance, effectively reducing the drained residual shear strength that yields equilibrium. These effects are amplified when three-dimensional asperities are considered. There are significant uncertainties towards actually quantifying the geometry of subsurface asperities; however, this study highlights the potential role that such anomalies may impart on shear strength calculations in slope stability.

Effects of compaction on soil undrained shear strength deteriorating during undrained cyclic loading and controlling seismic stability of embankment

Effects of compaction on the undrained shear strength of saturated earth-fill dam materials are presented. Poorly and well compacted saturated soils may exhibit undrained shear strengths, respectively, significantly lower and higher than corresponding drained shear strength and this trend is amplified as the undrained strength deteriorates by preceding undrained cyclic loading. These features are implemented in a new simplified seismic analysis to evaluate residual deformation of earth-fill dams. The analysis consists of: 1) a modified Newmark sliding block analysis; and 2) a pseudo-static non-linear FEM analysis, both formulated in a unified framework based on the cumulative damage concept, total stress earthquake response analysis and a direct total stress modelling of undrained monotonic and cyclic stress-strain behaviours obtained by triaxial tests. The analysis simulates very well the collapse of an earth-fill dam by the 2011 Off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, Japan, and indicates a substantially higher seismic stability under the same conditions of the newly restored dam completed in 2017. Paramount effects of soil compaction on the seismic stability of earth-filled dam are demonstrated.

Effect of clay content to the strength of gravel soil in the source region of debris flow

The production of runoff in the source area of a debris flow is the consequence of a reduction in soil strength. Gravel soil is widely distributed in the source region, and the influence of its clay content on soil strength is one of the important questions regarding the formation mechanism of debris flows. In this paper, the clay content in gravel soil is divided into groups of low clay content (1%, 2, 5%), moderate clay content (3.75%, 5.00%, 6.25%, 7.5%) and high clay content (10.0%, 12.5%, 15%). Tests of the unconsolidated undrained shear strength and consolidated drained shear strength were performed. The unconsolidated undrained shearing (UU) experiment simulates the rapid shear failure of loose gravel soil under the conditions of brief heavy rainfall. The consolidated drained shearing (CD) experiment simulates creep failure of consolidated sediment during extended rainfall. The pore water pressure first increased and then decreased as the clay content increased, and the increase in pore pressure was relatively high in the gravel soil sample when the clay content is in the range of 3.25-7.50%, and stress in the gravel soil is relatively low for a moderate clay content. Gravelly soils with a moderate clay content are more prone to debris-flow initiation. This paper presents a mathematical formula for the maximum shear stress and clay content of gravel soil under two conditions. The key processes whereby the soil fails and triggers a debris flow-volume contraction of soil, expansion of clay soil, and rise of pore pressure-cause reductions in the soil friction force and enhancement of the water content in the clay particles, and subsurface erosion of soil reduces the soil viscosity, which eventually reduces the soil strength so that the soil loses its stability, liquefies and generates a debris flow.

Estimation of Drained Shear Strength of Granular Soil from Shear Wave Velocity and Confining Stress

AbstractBuilding upon a previously reported hypothesis suggesting a unique linear relationship between the small strain shear modulus and major principal effective stress at failure, this paper pro...

Surficial Failure of Expansive Soil Cutting Slope and Its Flexible Support Treatment Technology

The surficial failure of most expansive soil cutting slopes, subjected to the repeated wet‐dry cycles, often occurs during or after rainfall following a long drought. The reason for this, however, is still unclear. Therefore, the laboratory tests were conducted to gain the saturated drained shear strength of the natural Nanning expansive soil considering the combined effects of swelling with loading and wet‐dry cycles. The findings indicate that the envelope of shear strength, which significantly drops close or equal to zero, can be well fitted by the generalized power function. At the same time, the effect of shear strength parameters on the stability of the expansive soil cutting slope was investigated. The reasons for the shear strength attenuation of the natural expansive soil and the surficial failure of the expansive soil cutting slopes were analyzed. It is evident that the effective cohesion being small is a vital factor influencing the occurrence of surficial failure of an expansion soil slope. Moreover, an effective flexible support treatment measure was provided.

Peat Soil Stabilization using Lime and Cement

This paper presents a study of the comparison between two additive Lime and Cement for treating peat soil in term of stabilization. Peat and organic soils are commonly known for their high compressibility, extremely soft, and low strength. The aim of this paper is to determine the drained shear strength of treated peat soil from Perlis for comparison purposes. Direct Shear Box Test was conducted to obtain the shear strength for all the disturbed peat soil samples. The quick lime and cement was mixed with peat soil in proportions of 10% and 20% of the dry weight peat soil. The experiment results showed that the addition of additives had improved the strength characteristics of peat soil by 14% increment in shear strength. In addition, the mixture of lime with peat soil yield higher result in shear strength compared to cement by 14.07% and 13.5% respectively. These findings indicate that the lime and cement is a good stabilizer for peat soil, which often experienced high amount of moisture content.

Properties of Drained Shear Strength of Expansive Soil Considering Low Stresses and Its Influencing Factors

The shallow failure of most expansive soil slopes undergoing wet–dry cycles occurs during or after long-term rainfall. According to the actual failure state of an expansive soil slope, the conventional direct shear equipment with low normal stresses was used to evaluate the effects of initial dry density, initial moisture content, and number of wet-dry cycle with or without loading on drained shear strength for the compacted expansive soil from Nanning, China. The saturated drained direct shear tests were also performed on the natural expansive soil specimens from Nanning by considering the influence of wet–dry cycles with loading and low normal stresses. Furthermore, consolidated drained triaxial compression tests on compacted specimens were conducted. The test results show that the drained shear strength of expansive soil was primarily affected by the magnitude of normal stresses, and also influenced by the initial moisture content, initial dry density, and number and type of wet–dry cycles. It is more realistic to consider the effect of loading during wet–dry cycles than that without loading. The effective drained shear strength envelopes with low normal stresses were plotted and well fitted by the generalized power function. At low normal stress levels, the drained shear strength still decreased with the increasing number of wet–dry cycles, and the effective cohesion intersects tended to be zero after being subjected to eight wet–dry cycles. This provided a theoretical basis for properly interpreting the shallow failure of expansive soil slopes.

Drained shear strength parameters of silty sand grouted by colloidal silica

A deep understanding of the behavior and specifications of grouting materials between soil particles is required to increase the applications of various grouting technologies. Out of the different grouts that can be injected in fine-grained soils, colloidal silica has been selected in this study due to its unknown effects on fine-grained soils. In this study, the effects of colloidal silica on silty sand with different amounts of silt were studied, and the strength parameters (c, ϕ) of stabilized samples under long-term static loading was evaluated. A total of 42 uniaxial compression tests and 75 consolidated-drained triaxial tests were done on the samples. Uniaxial compression tests were conducted to determine the most suitable age of the samples for testing, which was three days. The results of the triaxial tests indicate an increase in the drained cohesion parameter in all samples, while changing the drained internal friction angle in silty sands decreases.

Swelling potential reduction of Spanish argillaceous marlstone Facies Tap soil through the addition of crumb rubber particles from scrap tyres

During construction of road and railway projects, expansive soils may be encountered. Their use as construction material for embankments presents difficulties, due to their tendency to swell or shrink. Traditional solutions include mixing soil with cement or quicklime, or to import materials from other locations. As an alternative to these solutions, the present paper proposes a less expensive and more sustainable solution, consisting in mixing the natural expansive soil with rubber particles obtained from scrap tyres. Especially, the “Facies Tap” (a typical soil of southeastern Spain) is studied in this paper. This soil, which is mainly a white argillaceous marlstone, is mixed with six different amounts of rubber content (2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% in terms of weight) and submitted to several geotechnical tests, including compaction, free swelling, unidimensional consolidation, direct shear testing and undrained shear compression. The addition of rubber particles to the soil up to a 15% makes it lighter and less prone to swelling, while compressibility remains similar to the natural soil and the drained shear strength slightly increases. Based on experimental results, the optimum rubber content mixed with the soil to prevent its swelling is established at around 3%.