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Strain Energy, Yielding and Undrained Shear Characteristics of High Plasticity Compacted Clay Subjected to Stress Anisotropy

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Abstract

This experimental study investigates the effect of K0, anisotropic and isotropic consolidation stress paths on the undrained mechanical response of compacted high plasticity clay. This type of soils is being used for the construction of the core structure in the earthen embankment dams. Therefore, undrained soil properties in saturated state are essential to obtain for the stability analysis and design of certain conditions, such as rapid drawdown case. The actual consolidation system prevailing in the field is anisotropic in nature, and it is necessary to take that into account for the determination of strength and yielding criteria of the soil. However, this effect of the consolidation system has not been studied in detail for high plasticity clay in a compacted state. A series of consolidated undrained triaxial compression and extension tests were carried out on compacted high plasticity clay with different consolidation stress ratios (Kc = σh′/σv′  = 0.70 to 1.00) and stress history (OCR = 1 to 10). Results indicated that the normalized undrained shear strength reduced with anisotropic consolidation, and its relationship with consolidation stress ratio (Kc) was found linear at each OCR levels. The reduction in strength was observed highest for extension loading condition at normally consolidated state. Strain energy dissipation response displayed that the governing strain energy mechanism shifted from volumetric to shear strain energy, as consolidation state changed from anisotropic to isotropic. Based on the obtained yield surfaces, pre-failure shear behaviour of soil was found predominantly elastic for compression loading and elasto-plastic for extension loading conditions.

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Availability of data and materials

Some or all data generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

Abbreviations

A, B:

Skempton’s pore pressure parameters

Ac,:

Skempton’s pore pressure parameter for compression shearing

Ae :

Skempton’s pore pressure parameter for extension shearing

Af :

Skempton’s pore pressure parameter at peak deviatoric stress

CIUC:

Isotropically consolidated undrained compression

CIUE:

Isotropically consolidated undrained extension

CAUC:

Anisotropically consolidated undrained compression

CAUE:

Anisotropically consolidated undrained extension

Cc :

Compression index

Cs :

Swelling index

e:

Void ratio

ei :

Initial void ratio

ec :

Void ratio after consolidation

Kc :

Horizontal to vertical stress ratio

K0 :

Horizontal to vertical stress ratio at rest condition

LSSV:

Length of stress vector

OCR:

Over consolidation ratio

p′:

Mean effective stress

p′i :

Mean effective stress at the start of shearing

q:

Shear stress

qn :

Normalized shear stress

Su :

Undrained shear strength

Sun :

Normalized undrained shear strength

W:

Dissipated strain energy

WN :

Normalized dissipated strain energy

εv, εa, εr :

Volumetric, axial and radial strain

εvp :

Volumetric strain due to mean effective stress

εvd :

Volumetric strain due to deviatoric stress

εf :

Axial strain at peak deviatoric stress

σ′v :

Effective vertical or axial stress

σ′h :

Effective horizontal or radial stress

σc :

Confining pressure

σ′vc :

Pre-shear effective vertical consolidation stress

σ′v (oc) :

Effective vertical stress at overconsolidated state

σd :

Deviatoric stress

σdn :

Normalized deviatoric stress

(σdn)f :

Peak normalized deviatoric stress or undrained shear strength

Δuw :

Excess pore pressure

Δuwn :

Normalized excess pore pressure

(Δuwn)f :

Normalized excess pore pressure at failure

Λ0 :

Scaling exponent in SHANSEP equation

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Acknowledgements

Financial support from IIT Gandhinagar is gratefully acknowledged. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IIT Gandhinagar.

Funding

Funding for the current research was provided from the research grants of IIT Gandhinagar.

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  1. Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India

    Naman Kantesaria & Ajanta Sachan

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  1. Naman Kantesaria
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  2. Ajanta Sachan
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Correspondence to Ajanta Sachan.

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Kantesaria, N., Sachan, A. Strain Energy, Yielding and Undrained Shear Characteristics of High Plasticity Compacted Clay Subjected to Stress Anisotropy. Geotech Geol Eng 40, 213–236 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-021-01897-7

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