Santa Monica Beach Sand Research Articles

A new three-dimensional strength criterion considering the transverse isotropy based on the α-Spatial Mobilized Plane

Natural geotechnical materials are affected by sedimentation and exhibit significant anisotropy. To study the transverse isotropy characteristics of soil, the influence of intermediate principal stress and loading direction must be considered. Currently, research on transverse isotropy primarily focuses on the modified stress space, which is cumbersome to apply in multi-yield surface constitutive models. To describe the three-dimensional mechanical properties of geomaterials in real stress space, the α-Spatial Mobilized Plane strength criterion is introduced. Then, combined with the structure tensor, the transverse isotropic three-dimensional strength criterion can account for the effect of the loading angle. Finally, the three-dimensional strengths of Fukakusa clay, unsaturated SP-SC soils, uncemented Monterey sands, Yamaguchi marble, San Francisco Bay mud, Toyoura sand, and Santa Monica Beach sand are predicted on the π-plane. The results show that the αmn-SMP criterion, in the context of transverse isotropy, can describe the three-dimensional mechanical properties reasonably, and it can provide an accurate strength criterion for geotechnical engineering practice.

Formulation of cross-anisotropic failure criterion for soils

Inherently anisotropic soil fabric has a considerable influence on soil strength. To model this kind of inherent anisotropy, a three-dimensional anisotropic failure criterion was proposed, employing a scalar-valued anisotropic variable and a modified general threedimensional isotropic failure criterion. The scalar-valued anisotropic variable in all sectors of the deviatoric plane was defined by correlating a normalized stress tensor with a normalized fabric tensor. Detailed comparison between the available experimental data and the corresponding model predictions in the deviatoric plane was conducted. The proposed failure criterion was shown to well predict the failure behavior in all sectors, especially in sector II with the Lode angle ranging between 60° and 120°, where the prediction was almost in accordance with test data. However, it was also observed that the proposed criterion overestimated the strength of dense Santa Monica Beach sand in sector III where the intermediate principal stress ratio b varied from approximately 0.2 to 0.8, and slightly underestimated the strength when b was between approximately 0.8 and 1. The difference between the model predictions and experimental data was due to the occurrence of shear bending, which might reduce the measured strength. Therefore, the proposed anisotropic failure criterion has a strong ability to characterize the failure behavior of various soils and potentially allows a better description of the influence of the loading direction with respect to the soil fabric.

Micromechanical Modeling for Inherent Anisotropy in Granular Materials

In this paper, a description of inherent anisotropy of soil, based on micromechanics framework, is presented. The problem is formulated by assuming that sliding of two contact particles governed by Coulomb criterion in which the friction angle is a function of the orientation of the interparticle contact. The orientation distribution of these parameters is described by a set of symmetric second-order tensors. The formulation of the problem is illustrated by simulations of Santa Monica Beach Sand under true triaxial tests. In particular, the directional dependence of the strength characteristics is examined for samples with inherent cross anisotropy. The orientations of failure planes between particles are also examined.

Kinematic hardening predictions of large stress-reversals in 3-D test on loose sand

A rotational kinematic hardening constitutive model with the capability of predicting the behavior of soil during 3-D stress-reversals has been developed. An existing elasto-plastic constitutive model, the Single Hardening Model, utilizing isotropic hardening serves as the basic framework in these formulations. To this framework is added the capability of handling cross-anisotropic behavior as well as the kinematic hardening mechanism to capture inherent anisotropy of the sand in addition to the large stress-reversals. The model involves thirteen parameters, which can be determined from simple laboratory experiments, such as isotropic compression, drained triaxial compression and triaxial extension tests. The results from a series of true triaxial tests with large stress-reversals performed on loose cross-anisotropic Santa Monica Beach sand are employed for comparison with predictions.

Predictions of large stress reversals in true triaxial tests on cross‐anisotropic sand

AbstractA rotational kinematic hardening constitutive model with the capability of predicting the behavior of soil during three‐dimensional stress reversals has been developed. An existing elasto‐plastic constitutive model, the Single Hardening Model, utilizing isotropic hardening serves as the basic framework in these formulations. The framework of the kinematic hardening model was discussed in a companion paper. The previously proposed cross‐anisotropic Single Hardening Model is added to the present kinematic hardening mechanism to capture inherent anisotropy of sands in addition to the stress reversals. This model involves 13 parameters, which can be determined from simple laboratory experiments, such as isotropic compression, drained triaxial compression and triaxial extension tests. The results from a series of true triaxial tests with large three‐dimensional stress reversals performed on medium dense cross‐anisotropic Santa Monica Beach sand are employed for comparison with predictions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Large stress reversals in true triaxial tests on cross‐anisotropic sand

AbstractThe results of a series of true triaxial tests with stress paths involving large reversals under 3D conditions are presented. These tests were performed on medium dense Santa Monica Beach sand to provide experimental evidence for the rotational kinematic hardening hypothesis presented in a companion paper and to provide stress–strain and volume change relations for experiments with 3D stress paths and large stress reversals to be predicted by the rotational kinematic hardening model. The experimental equipment and the testing procedures are briefly explained followed by a presentation of the experimental results and their sensitivity to unknown causes as well as effects of cross‐anisotropy on the sand behavior. The stress paths are presented in a σ3′‐plane and in an octahedral plane and the directions of experimental strain increment vectors are compared with those obtained from the rotational kinematic hardening model. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Interpretation of strains in torsion shear tests

The normal and shear strains obtained in torsion shear tests may be interpreted in two different ways to gain insight into (1) the type of plastic potential to be employed in hardening plasticity stress–strain models, and (2) the coincidence in physical space of the plastic strain increment direction with the stress direction during principal stress rotation. Thirty-four drained torsion shear tests were performed on hollow cylinder specimens of Santa Monica Beach sand deposited by dry pluviation. Twenty-six tests were performed on tall specimens with height of 40 cm, and eight tests were performed on short specimens with height of 25 cm to investigate the effect of the specimen height on the soil behavior in hollow cylinder specimens. Each test was conducted with the same, constant inside and outside confining pressure, σ r , thus tying the value of b = ( σ 2– σ 3)/( σ 1– σ 3) to the inclination, β, of the major principal stress. The directions of strain increment vectors at failure are compared with the directions corresponding to associated and non-associated flow. The relation between the directions of major principal strain increment and major principal stress during rotation of principal stress axes in physical space are investigated.

Shear banding and cross-anisotropic behavior observed in laboratory sand tests with stress rotation

Shear banding in Santa Monica beach sand deposited by dry pluviation in hollow cylinder specimens is studied in 34 drained torsion shear tests with rotation of principal stress directions. The effect of the specimen height on the soil behavior was investigated by testing specimens with heights of 40 and 25 cm. Each test was conducted with the same, constant inside and outside confining pressure, σr, thus tying the value of b = (σ2– σ3)/(σ1– σ3) to the inclination, β, of the major principal stress. Shear bands can develop freely without significant restraint from the soft rubber membranes. Strain localization and shear banding were observed in the hollow cylinder specimens, and this created failure conditions in plane strain and in tests with higher b-values. The results clearly indicate the influence of the cross-anisotropic fabric on the stress–strain behavior, on the shear band inclination, and on the shape of the failure surface.

Modeling Cross Anisotropy in Granular Materials

A constitutive model has been developed to capture the behavior of cross-anisotropic frictional materials. The elastoplastic, single hardening model for isotropic materials serves as the basic framework. Based on the experimental results of cross-anisotropic sands in isotropic compression tests, the principal stress coordinate system is rotated such that the model operates isotropically within the rotated framework. Experimental plastic work contours on the octahedral plane are plotted for a series of true triaxial tests on dense Santa Monica Beach sand to study the effects of cross anisotropy on the evolution of yield surfaces. The amount of rotation of the yield and plastic potential surfaces decreases to zero (isotropic state) with loading. The model is constructed for cases where the principal stress and material symmetry axes are collinear and no significant rotation of principal stresses occur. The model incorporates fourteen parameters that can be determined from simple experiments, such as isotropic compression, drained triaxial compression, and triaxial extension tests. A series of true triaxial and isotropic compression tests on dense Santa Monica Beach sand are used as a basis for verification of the capabilities of the proposed model.

Characterization of Cross-Anisotropic Soil Deposits from Isotropic Compression Tests

Isotropic compression tests have been performed on two fine sands. Specimens of Nevada sand were prepared by air pluviation and by funnel deposition followed by tapping to relative densities of 30, 50, 70, and 90%. Specimens of Santa Monica Beach sand were prepared by air pluviation to a relative density of 90%. All specimens exhibited cross-anisotropic behavior, both in terms of total strains and in terms of unloading strains. Small pressure cycles performed during loading and unloading were used to study elastic behavior. The inclination angles of the total and plastic strain increment vectors relative to the hydrostatic axis in the principal stress space were used to express and to study the evolution of cross-anisotropy in the sand deposits. In the context of elasto-plastic constitutive modeling, the variation of the inclination of the plastic strain increment vector was further characterized by a rotation of the plastic potential surface as a means to capture the inherent cross-anisotropic behavior observed in such sand deposits.

Characterization of Failure in Cross-Anisotropic Soils

Drained true triaxial tests on dense Santa Monica Beach sand deposited with a cross-anisotropic fabric have been performed to study the failure condition in the principal stress space. The failure surface was assumed to be symmetric around the vertical axis (on the octahedral plane of the principal stress space), but varying as a function of the Lode angle. Data from previously performed consolidated-undrained true triaxial tests on San Francisco Bay Mud and data from triaxial compression, triaxial extension, and plane strain tests on Toyoura sand showed similar behavior in terms of effective stresses. A three-dimensional failure criterion is proposed for characterization of failure in cross-anisotropic soils, under commonly occurring conditions when loading and depositional directions coincide and no significant rotation of principal stresses occur. This cross-anisotropic criterion is developed using a coordinate rotation of the principal stress space and utilization of an existing isotropic failure formulation. Derivation of the three required parameters is explained and illustrated. The proposed criterion is compared with various experimental results; and it is demonstrated that the failure criterion for cross-anisotropic soils captures the experimental behavior with good accuracy.

Effects of Cross Anisotropy on Three-Dimensional Behavior of Sand. I: Stress–Strain Behavior and Shear Banding

The significance of material cross anisotropy in sands is underscored and experimentally evaluated in a series of true triaxial tests on Santa Monica beach sand in a cubical device. Failure patterns, initiation and development of shear banding, and complete stress-strain behavior are described for the entire range of the Lode angle under general three-dimensional loading conditions. Localized failure was found to govern the ultimate resistance of the sand for intermediate values of parameter b5(s 22s 3)/(s 12s 3) in each of the three sectors of the octahedral plane. Variations of the friction angle are fully described and show its significant dependence on the inherent cross-anisotropic material structure.

Effects of Cross Anisotropy on Three-Dimensional Behavior of Sand. II: Volume Change Behavior and Failure

The volume change behavior of cross-anisotropic sand is studied using results of a series of cubical triaxial tests. The relationships between the volumetric response, failure, and shear localization are addressed. Rates of dilation under various three-dimensional stress conditions are evaluated in conjunction with the peak shear resistance and initiation of shear banding in specimens of dense Santa Monica beach sand. The location of the line in principal stress space along which the tendency to deform changes from compressive to dilative (the characteristic line) is determined using two different methods. The uniqueness of this characteristic line for cross-anisotropic materials is analyzed.

Analysis of Shear Banding in True Triaxial Tests on Sand

A series of true triaxial tests have been performed on rectangular prismatic specimens of Santa Monica Beach sand at three different relative densities to study the occurrence of failure, mechanisms that create failure, and soil behavior in the vicinity of failure. One mechanism is smooth peak failure, in which the soil continues to behave as a continuum with uniform strains, and smooth peak failure is followed by strain softening. Another mechanism is shear banding, whose occurrence in the plastic hardening regime limits the strength of the soil. Presented here are analyses based on theoretical conditions for localization and subsequent shear banding and on the results of the true triaxial tests. Thus, the strength increases as b [=(σ2 − σ3)/(σ1 − σ3)] increases from 0 to about 0.18, remains almost constant until b reaches 0.85, and then decreases slightly at b = 1.0. Shear banding initiates in the hardening regime for b-values of 0.18–0.85. Thus, peak failure is caused by shear banding in this middle range of b-values, and a smooth, continuous 3D failure surface is therefore not generally obtained for soils. The experimental results agree with the theoretical conditions for the occurrence of shear banding and its consequent effect on the 3D failure stress states for soil.

Shear Banding in True Triaxial Tests and Its Effect on Failure in Sand

The occurrence of failure, mechanisms that create failure, and soil behavior in the vicinity of failure have been investigated. One mechanism is smooth peak failure, in which the soil continues to behave as a continuum with uniform strains, and smooth peak failure is followed by strain softening. Another mechanism is shear banding, whose occurrence in the plastic hardening regime limits the strength of the soil. True triaxial tests have been performed on tall prismatic specimens of Santa Monica Beach sand at three relative densities in a modified version of a cubical triaxial apparatus to study the effect of shear banding on failure in the full range of the intermediate principal stress. The experiments show that the strength increases as b [=(σ2 − σ3)/(σ1 − σ3)] increases from 0 to about 0.18, remains almost constant until b reaches 0.85, and then decreases slightly at b = 1.0. Shear banding initiates in the hardening regime for b-values of 0.18–0.85. Thus, peak failure is caused by shear banding in this...