Stress-strain Hysteresis Loops Research Articles

Cyclic response of unsaturated weathered red mudstone: Experimental investigation and a cyclic model

The mechanical properties and constitutive model of unsaturated soils under cyclic loading are crucial for understanding the behavior of foundations and slopes subjected to dynamic motions such as earthquakes and traffic loading. In this study, multilevel strain-controlled cyclic simple shear tests of unsaturated weathered red mudstone (WRM) were conducted. The detailed investigation focused on cyclic responses, including shear stress-strain behavior and volume change, strain-dependent secant shear modulus and damping ratio, and stress–dilatancy behavior. This study revealed the significant influences of the degree of saturation and vertical stress on these responses, with the initial static shear stress mainly affecting the shear stress-strain behavior and volume changes at the initial loading stage. Based on the experimental observations, a cyclic constitutive model was proposed for unsaturated WRM. The model incorporates a slightly revised Davidenkov model and Masing criterion to generate shear stress-strain hysteresis loops with or without initial static shear stress. Additionally, a stress-dilatancy equation was included to capture the volume changes during cyclic loading. The proposed model was verified by comparing representative test data and calculation results, demonstrating the excellent performance of the proposed model in modeling the main features of unsaturated WRM under cyclic loading.

Enhanced understanding on permanent deformation behaviour of subgrade compacted clay under long-term cyclic loading

The long-term performance of pavement structures is heavily reliant on the sustained load-carrying capacity of the subgrade soil. Under repetitive traffic loads, permanent deformation (PD) gradually accumulates in the subgrade due to plastic yielding and soil particle rearrangement, which can compromise the serviceability and durability of overlying pavement layers. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of compacted clay response under long-term cyclic loads through a systematic repeated load triaxial (RLT) testing approach. The proposed approach considered depth-dependent static and dynamic stresses exerted on compacted clay beneath pavement structures and traffic loads. A series of RLT tests were conducted to investigate the impact of key factors, including soil properties (moisture content and compaction degree), stress conditions (confining pressure and deviator stress), and load characteristics (load duration and rest period), on the PD behaviour of compacted clay subgrade. Stress-strain hysteresis loops and damping ratios were analyzed to enhance the fundamental understanding of subgrade PD evolution. The results showed that higher moisture content and lower compaction degree significantly increased PD, with the PD response transitioning from plastic shakedown to plastic creep. Greater deviator stress also exacerbated PD accumulation. Variations in loading duration and rest period influenced the PD behaviour, demonstrating the importance of accurately simulating the stress history experienced by subgrade soil elements under traffic loading. The findings provide valuable insights to optimize subgrade design and implement performance-based management of pavements.

Strain amplitude dependency of cyclic hardening/softening behavior of 490 N/mm2 class steel

Existing studies on the strain amplitude dependency of cyclic softening behavior in structural steels often involve limited cycles or strain amplitudes below 2.5%, failing to provide a comprehensive understanding of stabilized cyclic behavior. This study performed uniaxial tension–compression cyclic loading tests using SN490B structural steel under three loading patterns: constant, variable, and offset constant strain amplitudes. The cyclic hardening and softening behaviors and stress–strain hysteresis loops were compared. Under variable strain amplitude loading, the specimens were subjected to increasing and decreasing strain amplitudes to investigate the strain amplitude dependency of the cyclic hardening and softening behaviors. Under offset constant strain amplitude loading, mean strains were initially introduced in either the tension or compression strain range, followed by cyclic loading with a constant strain amplitude centered around the mean strains. The test results revealed the following: (1) Under constant strain amplitude cyclic loading, the material exhibited cyclic softening and hardening behaviors at strain amplitudes smaller than and larger than 0.5%, respectively; (2) Under variable strain amplitude cyclic loading, increased and reduced strain amplitudes resulted in cyclic hardening and softening behaviors, respectively. The cyclic hardening/softening behavior strongly depended on the strain amplitude. Applying a significant number of cycles after strain amplitude reduction resulted in the stress–strain curves closely resembling those under constant strain amplitude conditions; (3) Even under offset constant strain amplitude cyclic loading conditions with nonzero mean strain, the peak stresses and shapes of the hysteresis loops approached those under constant strain amplitude conditions without mean strain.

The Influence of Cyclic Loading on the Mechanical Properties of Well Cement

The cyclic loading generated by injection and production operations in underground gas storage facilities can lead to fatigue damage to cement sheaths and compromise the integrity of wellbores. To investigate the influence of cyclic loading on the fatigue damage of well cement, uniaxial and triaxial loading tests were conducted at different temperatures, with maximum cyclic loading intensity ranging from 60% to 90% of the ultimate strength. Test results indicate that the compressive strength and elastic modulus of well cement subjected to monotonic loading under high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) testing conditions were 14–21% lower than those obtained under ambient testing conditions. The stress–strain curve exhibits stress–strain hysteresis loops during cyclic loading tests, and the plastic deformation capacity is enhanced at HTHP conditions. Notably, a higher intensity of cyclic loading results in more significant plastic strain in oil-well cement, leading to the conversion of more input energy into dissipative energy. Furthermore, the secant modulus of well cement decreased with cycle number, which is especially significant under ambient test conditions with high loading intensity. Within 20 cycles of cyclic loading tests, only the sample tested at a loading intensity of 90% ultimate strength under an ambient environment failed. For samples that remained intact after 20 cycles of cyclic loading, the compressive strength and stress–strain behavior were similar to those obtained before cyclic loading. Only a slight decrease in the elastic modulus is observed in samples cycled with high loading intensity. Overall, oil-well cement has a longer fatigue life when subjected to HTHP testing conditions compared to that tested under ambient conditions. The fatigue life of well cement increases significantly with a decrease in loading intensity and can be predicted based on the plastic strain evolution rate.

Artificial Neural Network-aided Mathematical Model for Predicting Soil Stress-strain Hysteresis Loop Evolution

This study presents a novel approach to forecasting the evolution of hysteresis stress-strain response of different types of soils under repeated loading-unloading cycles. The forecasting is made solely from the knowledge of soil properties and loading parameters. Our approach combines mathematical modeling, regression analysis, and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) to overcome the limitations of traditional DNN training. As a novelty, we propose a hysteresis loop evolution equation and design a family of DNNs to determine the parameters of this equation. Knowing the nature of the phenomenon, we can impose certain solution types and narrow the range of values, enabling the use of a very simple and efficient DNN model. The experimental data used to develop and test the model was obtained through Torsional Shear (TS) tests on soil samples. The model demonstrated high accuracy, with an average R² value of 0.9788 for testing and 0.9944 for training.

Experimental Study on Cyclic Simple Shear Test of Coastal Tidal Soft Soil

Based on undrained cyclic simple shear tests conducted on coastal tidal soft soil under various conditions of cyclic stress ratios and moisture contents, this study investigated the influence of these factors on the dynamic properties of the soil. The findings indicated that with increasing moisture content and stress cycle ratio, the stress–strain hysteresis loop gradually expanded, resulting in a higher strain difference and a transition from a dense to a sparse curve pattern. Moreover, the symmetry of the hysteresis loop was lost in the later stages of shearing. With an increase in the number of cycles, the cumulative shear strain gradually increased, and the increase in the cyclic ratio of water content to stress reduced the number of cyclic shear cycles required to achieve failure, thereby accelerating the soil’s failure rate. A predictive formula was developed based on the experimental results to estimate the failure cycles as a function of the cyclic stress ratio and moisture content. Furthermore, the softening index decreased gradually with an increasing number of cycles, and a higher moisture content and cyclic stress ratio accelerated the soil’s softening process. It was observed that under the conditions of optimal moisture content, the soil exhibited a slower softening rate during the initial stage of shearing.

Peridynamic numerical investigation of asymmetric strain-controlled fatigue behaviour using the kinetic theory of fracture

Numerical fatigue process modelling is complex and still an open task. Discontinuity caused by fatigue cracks requires special finite element techniques based on additional parameters, the selection of which has a strong effect on the simulation results. Moreover, the calculation of fatigue life according to empirical material coefficients (e.g., Paris law) does not explain the process, and coefficients should be set from experimental testing, which is not always possible. A new nonlocal continuum mechanics formulation without spatial derivative of coordinates, namely, peridynamics (PD), which was created 20 y ago, provides new opportunities for modelling discontinuities, such as fatigue cracks. The fatigue process can be better described by using the atomistic approach-based kinetic theory of fracture (KTF), which includes the process temperature, maximum and minimum stresses, and loading frequency in its differential fatigue damage equation. Standard 316L stainless steel specimens are tested, and then the KTF-PD fatigue simulation is run in this study. In-house MATLAB code, calibrated from the material S‒N curve, is used for the KTF-PD simulation. A novel KTF equation based on the cycle stress‒strain hysteresis loop is proposed and applied to predict fatigue life. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results, and good agreement is observed for both symmetric and asymmetric cyclic loading.

Damage evolution of rock-encased-backfill structure under stepwise cyclic triaxial loading

Rock-encased-backfill (RB) structures are common in underground mining, for example in the cut-and-fill and stoping methods. To understand the effects of cyclic excavation and blasting activities on the damage of these RB structures, a series of triaxial stepwise-increasing-amplitude cyclic loading experiments was conducted with cylindrical RB specimens (rock on outside, backfill on inside) with different volume fractions of rock (VF = 0.48, 0.61, 0.73, and 0.84), confining pressures (0, 6, 9, and 12 MPa), and cyclic loading rates (200, 300, 400, and 500 N/s). The damage evolution and meso-crack formation during the cyclic tests were analyzed with results from stress-strain hysteresis loops, acoustic emission events, and post-failure X-ray 3D fracture morphology. The results showed significant differences between cyclic and monotonic loadings of RB specimens, particularly with regard to the generation of shear microcracks, the development of stress memory and strain hardening, and the contact forces and associated friction that develops along the rock-backfill interface. One important finding is that as a function of the number of cycles, the elastic strain increases linearly and the dissipated energy increases exponentially. Also, compared with monotonic loading, the cyclic strain hardening characteristics are more sensitive to rising confining pressures during the initial compaction stage. Another finding is that compared with monotonic loading, more shear microcracks are generated during every reloading stage, but these microcracks tend to be dispersed and lessen the likelihood of large shear fracture formation. The transition from elastic to plastic behavior varies depending on the parameters of each test (confinement, volume fraction, and cyclic rate), and an interesting finding was that the transformation to plastic behavior is significantly lower under the conditions of 0.73 rock volume fraction, 400 N/s cyclic loading rate, and 9 MPa confinement. All the findings have important practical implications on the ability of backfill to support underground excavations.

Constitutive modelling and damage prediction of AlSi10Mg alloy manufactured by SLM technology with emphasis on ratcheting in LCF regime

The present work has been aimed at developing an improved cyclic plasticity model in the framework of Ohno-Wang kinematic hardening formulation and evaluating the performance of the model with reference to the critical experimental investigation. LCF test specimens of the AlSi10Mg aluminium alloy have been fabricated through selective laser melting technology. The material shows strain-range dependent variation of modulus of elasticity under symmetric strain-controlled loading. The modulus of elasticity decreases with increasing strain amplitude. Stress–strain responses have been critically examined under multistep uniaxial ratcheting in the LCF regime with incremental mean stress and stress amplitude. Damage calculation considering ratcheting and LCF mechanisms as independent gives unconservative predictions. The linear damage accumulation rule taking the largest contribution of both is bringing much more accurate estimates. The proposed model incorporates effects of mean stress and stress amplitude under uniaxial multistep ratcheting in the LCF regime. All fatigue tests in the LCF regime have been simulated using the proposed improved model. Evolution of strain-range dependent elastic modulus has been incorporated in the formulation of the improved model through the memory history dependent parameter. The ratcheting parameter is newly formulated in this present work to account for the effects of accumulated mean plastic strain on the opening of stress strain hysteresis loops that results in a better prediction of the behaviour of cyclic plastic deformation. The proposed model has been validated by comparing simulated results with experimental observations and reference published simulation results.

Investigation of failure behavior of glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminate under fatigue loading

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the failure behavior of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy (GFRE) laminate subjected to cyclic loading conditions. It involves experimental investigation and statistical analysis using Weibull distribution to characterize the failure behavior of the GFRE composite laminate. Design/methodology/approach Fatigue tests were conducted using a tension–tension loading scheme at a frequency of 2 Hz and a loading ratio (R) of 0.1. The tests were performed at five different stress levels, corresponding to 50%–90% of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS). Failure behavior was assessed through cyclic stress-strain hysteresis plots, dynamic modulus behavior and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of fracture surfaces. Findings The study identified common modes of failure, including fiber pullouts, fiber breakage and matrix cracking. At low stress levels, fiber breakage, matrix cracking and fiber pullouts occurred due to high shear stresses at the fiber–matrix interface. Conversely, at high stress levels, fiber breakage and matrix cracking predominated. Higher stress levels led to larger stress-strain hysteresis loops, indicating increased energy dissipation during cyclic loading. High stress levels were associated with a more significant decrease in stiffness over time, implying a shorter fatigue life, while lower stress levels resulted in a gradual decline in stiffness, leading to extended fatigue life. Originality/value This study makes a valuable contribution to understanding fatigue behavior under tension–tension loading conditions, coupled with an in-depth analysis of the failure mechanism in GFRE composite laminate at different stress levels. The fatigue behavior is scrutinized through stress-strain hysteresis plots and dynamic modulus versus normalized cycles plots. Furthermore, the characterization of the failure mechanism is enhanced by using SEM imaging of fractured specimens. The Weibull distribution approach is used to obtain a reliable estimate of fatigue life.

Experimental study on temperature-dependent ratchetting-fatigue interaction of extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy

The variations in the plastic deformation mechanisms of extruded AZ31 magnesium (Mg) alloy at elevated temperature and the temperature-dependence of its ratchetting-fatigue interaction were revealed by a series of uniaxial stress-control low-cycle fatigue experiments. The experimental results elucidate that: (1) The tension-compression asymmetry and the S-shaped inflection point in the stress-strain hysteresis loops are gradually attenuated with elevating the temperature, and the evolution of ratchetting is also remarkably affected by the elevated temperature due to the activation of abundant non-basal plane slipping; (2) The fatigue life of the alloy exhibits a pronounced temperature-dependence, and specifically, the fatigue life is greater at 100°C compared to that at room temperature, but sharply decreases at 150°C and 200°C due to the significant ratchetting deformation at these two temperatures. Moreover, the dependence of fatigue life on the applied mean stress is also different at different temperatures; (3) Due to the significant ratchetting deformation in the alloy at elevated temperature, a transition from a brittle fatigue fracture mode to a ductile one also occurs as the temperature increases. This research provides valuable experimental data that serve as an important reference for the practical application of Mg alloys.

Thermo-mechanical fatigue deformation and fracture mechanisms of nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy

Thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) failure is one of the major concerns for aero-engine turbine discs under complex service loading conditions. By conducting both in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) TMF tests, the stress-strain hysteresis loops and the cyclic stress responses were analyzed for the third-generation nickel-based powder metallurgy (P/M) superalloy FGH4098. To reveal the failure mechanism, advanced microscopy analysis was carried out to characterize the fracture surface and microstructure of the alloy after failure. The phase angle between alternating mechanical and thermal loads plays an important role for the magnitude and evolution of mean stress. According to SEM fractography, the crack growth exhibits intergranular fracture under IP TMF and transgranular fracture under OP TMF. From the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) characterization results, the geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density is higher for IP TMF, indicating more severe plastic deformation. The material shows cyclic softening in the high-temperature half-cycle, but cyclic hardening in the low-temperature half-cycle. The cyclic deformation is mainly related to dislocation activities under IP loading conditions, for which fatigue damage dominates the failure process. Under OP loading conditions, the deformation behavior is mainly associated with the generation of stacking faults (SF), and its failure mechanism includes both fatigue and oxidation damage.

Mechanism of ratcheting deformation of HSLA steel: Effects of internal stresses and dislocation density

The objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanism of ratcheting deformation of HSLA steel in relation to the evolution of internal stresses i.e. effective stress (σef) and backstress (σb) associated with the generation of dislocations during asymmetric cyclic loading. Effective and back stresses are calculated from the stress-strain hysteresis loops and dislocation density is estimated from the X-ray diffraction technique. The results exhibit an increase in the accumulation of ratcheting strain associated with a sharp reduction in fatigue life by the increment in stresses. A continuous cyclic softening until the final failure is observed for all the ratcheting tests. It is noticed that the effect of stress amplitude is more prominent than the mean stress for controlling cyclic softening, which is evidenced by the evolution of effective stress and backstress in association with dislocation density. Additionally, transmission electron microscopic images are used to correlate strain conditions and substructural patterns.

Ratcheting Simulation of Additively Manufactured Aluminum 4043 Samples through Finite Element Analysis

This study presents a finite element-based ratcheting assessment of additively manufactured aluminum 4043 samples undergoing asymmetric loading cycles. The Chaboche material model in ANSYS was utilized and the effects of mesh and element type were examined. Different element numbers were used in a thorough convergence study to obtain independent meshing structures. The coefficients of this model were defined through stress–strain hysteresis loops determined from the strain-controlled tests. The backstress evolution and the corresponding yield surface translation in the deviatoric stress space were discussed as three different mesh elements of linear brick, quadratic tetrahedron, and quadratic brick were adopted. The magnitude of backstress was affected as different element types were employed. The first-order brick elements resulted in the highest backstress increments, while the lowest backstresses were determined when quadratic brick elements were taken. Backstress increments are positioned in an intermediate level with the use of quadratic tetrahedron elements. The choice of the element type, shape, and number influenced material ratcheting response over the loading process. The use of quadratic brick elements elevated the simulated ratcheting curves. The quadratic tetrahedron and linear brick elements, however, suppressed ratcheting level as compared with those of experimental data. The closeness of the simulated ratcheting results to those of the measured values was found to be highly dependent on these finite element variables.

Effect of nano‐silica on fatigue behavior of glass fiber‐reinforced epoxy composite laminates: A Weibull distribution approach

AbstractThe aim of this study is to assess the impact of nano‐silica in glass fiber‐reinforced epoxy composite (GFEC) subjected to static and fatigue loading. Laminates were prepared in compression molding machine followed by the tensile test and tension‐tension fatigue testing at five different stress levels (from 50% to 90% of ultimate tensile strength). The addition of 3 wt% of nano‐silica with epoxy improved the tensile and fatigue strength as compared to neat GFEC. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the fractured specimen showed the damage pattern which indicates that neat GFEC laminate exhibited damage patterns characterized by fiber breakage and matrix cracking. On the other hand, the modified GFEC with nano‐silica showed damage patterns including fiber pullout accompanied by fiber breakage and matrix cracking. During cyclic loading, the stress–strain hysteresis loop shows a reduced slope, indicating a decrease in the dynamic modulus of the specimen. This reduction in slope signifies a loss of stiffness during cyclic loading, particularly at high‐stress levels. The highest dynamic modulus at high‐stress levels indicates a rapid progression of severe damage and a shorter fatigue life. On the other hand, at low‐stress levels, the lower magnitude of dynamic modulus suggests a moderate damage progression and a longer fatigue life.Highlights Effect of nano‐silica in GFEC under static and fatigue loading conditions. GFEC with 3 wt% of nano‐silica shows improved tensile and fatigue strength. Examination of damage patterns through SEM analysis of the fractured surface. Depiction of the failure modes using damage pattern under fatigue loading. Comparison of fatigue life and dynamic modulus for neat and modified GFEC.

Seismic response of vibroflotation reinforced coral sand foundation through shaking table tests

The liquefaction damage in dredger coral sand foundation mainly occurs when these materials are subjected to earthquake action. In the past practical engineering, the dredged loose foundations were used to be reinforced by vibroflotation, a traditional foundation reinforcement method. This paper investigated the impact of vibroflotation on the enhancement of liquefaction resistance by the shaking table. Sampled after the earthquake, the microfabric evolution is assessed by μCT system. The macroscopic results from shaking table tests showed that the vibroflotation can effectively inhibit the growth rate of the excess pressure ratios. Meanwhile, the peak excess pressure ratios of vibro-treated foundation are significantly smaller. Moreover, the study uncovers vibroflotation also resists the sandy softening and the stiffness reduction caused by strong shock. The development patterns of dynamic shear stress-strain hysteresis loops show the vibro-treated foundation is more resistant to stiffness attenuation. The microfabric assessment includes the evolution of the particles and the pores. The less increasing CNave and less decreasing APD reveals that vibro-treated foundation can prevent the damage of earthquake better due to the vibro-caused densification. Similarly, both CNave and K50 shows the vibro-point position gets better anti-seismic capacity when compared with the model center. Overall, the results of the microfabric evolution show that more acute variation happens on the untreated foundation after the earthquake, indicating the great improvement of anti-seismic capacity due to vibroflotation.

Evaluation of Factors Affecting the Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Subgrade Soil Characteristics Under Cyclic Loading

This study is focused on evaluating the factors affecting the performance of fiber-reinforced subgrade under cyclic loading. To achieve the objectives of this study, a series of dynamic triaxial (DT) tests was performed, and the following parameters, such as resilient modulus (MR), number of loading cycles (N), cyclic stress (CS), resilient strain (RS), and stress-strain hysteresis response of both the reinforced and unreinforced subgrades were evaluated. Subsequently, a series of scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests was conducted to track the fiber-soil interfacial bonding after the completion of DT test. The results indicated that N and CS triggered an appreciable decrease in MR with significantly high RS deformation for the unreinforced subgrade. However, reversed responses were noted upon the inclusion of sisal fiber due to fiber-soil adhesion and a high ductility response was portrayed by the reinforced subgrades. A reversed response was significant upon 0.25% and 0.5% fiber inclusion, beyond which the CS resistance slightly decreased. The stress-strain hysteresis loop was observed to increase as the axial strain increased proportionally with an increase in fiber contents, thus causing a significant increase in energy absorption in specimens. The SEM micrograph showed tightly knitted fiber-soil adhesion after the DT test. This study indicated that the reinforced subgrade sustained the CS, N, and improved energy absorption capacity, and MRupon fiber inclusion. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-08-015 Full Text: PDF

Cyclic Stress–Strain Behavior and Model for FRP-Confined Engineered Cementitious Composite

A fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) confined engineered cementitious composite (ECC) column as a new high-performance composite member achieves significant ductility. Understanding its cyclic behavior is necessary to guide seismic design. This paper presents an experimental study on the compressive behavior of large rupture strain (LRS) FRP and traditional glass FRP (GFRP) jacketed ECC cylinders subjected to full and partial cyclic loadings. Effects of FRP confinement level, FRP type, and loading scheme on the failure pattern, stress–strain relationship, ultimate condition, plastic strain, and stress deterioration ratio were examined. Existing equations for plastic strain and stress deterioration ratio of the envelope and internal cycles were evaluated. Based on the experimental results, new calculation formulas were derived for the plastic strain and stress deterioration ratio. A threshold involving partial unloading/reloading factors was determined to define the effective cycles. In addition, a cyclic model composed of a monotonic envelope model and an unloading/reloading model was developed for estimating the stress–strain hysteresis loops of both GFRP- and LRS FRP-confined ECC cylinders.

Characterization of fatigue behavior of AA2024‐T351 aluminum alloy

AbstractThe paper aims to investigate the fatigue behavior of the widely used AA2024‐T351 aluminum alloy in the aircraft industry. An experimental program was conducted to study the fatigue life and damage behavior under symmetrical tensile‐compressive loading. Cyclic tests in the low cycle fatigue regime were performed under fully reversed total strain amplitudes from 0.6% to 1.2%. The AA2024‐T351 alloy exhibited cyclic hardening until failure. Symmetric high cycle fatigue tests were also performed and the parameters for fatigue life estimation using the Manson–Coffin–Basquin model were identified. Elasto‐plastic behavior was analyzed through stress–strain hysteresis loops, evaluating kinematic and isotropic hardenings. Kinematic hardening was found to be strain amplitude dependent, unlike the isotropic hardening. The evolution of the isotropic variable with the percentage of fatigue life could be described by an exponential law. Fractography investigations showed crack initiation at the specimen border with quasi‐cleavage and then crack propagating by striation before ductile fracture.

Determination of Dynamic Properties of Fine-Grained Soils at High Cyclic Strains

Shear modulus (SM) and damping ratio (DR) are significant in seismic design and the performance of geotechnical systems. The evaluation of soil reactions to dynamic loads, such as earthquakes, blasts, train, and traffic vibrations, necessitates the estimation of dynamic SM and DR. The aim of this research is to determine the cyclic parameters of unsaturated soils in and around Peshawar, and how these properties depend upon the varied confining pressures and shear strains. Undisturbed samples were collected using Shelby tubes from five boreholes at different locations along Jamrud Road, Peshawar. The index properties (grain size distribution, plasticity index, and specific gravity) and dynamic properties of these samples were determined. Three samples of 100 mm in height and 50 mm in diameter were obtained from each Shelby tube. After preparing and mounting the sample in the triaxial cell, the sample is first saturated by increasing the cell and back pressures in increments of 50 kPa until the value of Skempton’s pore pressure parameter (B) reaches ≥ 0.96. Samples were consolidated at confining pressures of 150, 200, and 300 kPa, then subjected to cyclic shear strains of 0.2, 1, 2, 2.5, and 5%. Shear stress–strain hysteresis loops were plotted, and the values of SM and DR were calculated for each cycle. Generally, at shear strains of 0.2 and 1%, the slope of the loops is steep, and gradually becomes gentler at higher strains of 2, 2.5, and 5%. It is found that, with an increasing number of cycles, the SM and DR decrease. The SM decreases with increasing shear strain, whereas the DR increases at shear strains of 0.2–1%, then decreases for strains of 2, 2.5, and 5%. The confining pressure has more influence at a shear strain of 0.2–1%, while little effect has been observed at a shear strain of 2.2–5%. The values of SM are higher at higher confining pressures at a given shear strain. The results show higher stress values during the initial cycles because of the greater effective stress that developed in response to shear strain while, with an increase in the number of cycles, the pore water pressure gradually increases, thereby reducing the effective stress and weakening the bonds between soil particles. In dynamics, when the confining pressure increases, particles are closer to contact, so the travel paths of waves increase. The energy loss will increase, so DR will decrease.