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In addition to creating environmental threats, the leakage and entrance of chemical fertilizers into soil, which is possible in various ways, dramatically changes the physical and mechanical properties of soil. Furthermore, clay soils in the vicinity of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) contamination show substantially negative behavior, thus, improving the engineering geological factors of soil has become a huge challenge for engineers. Extensive programs such as triaxial compression test, consolidation test, compaction test, Atterberg limits, and collapse tests, in addition to X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were performed on samples containing 10%–30% MAP over 7 days, 1, and 3 months. The mentioned trend was repeated when 0.5%–3% nano A (Al2O3 in alpha phase), nano F (Fe2O3 in alpha phase), and AF in form of a nanohybrid were added to soil which had been contaminated by MAP. Gained reports demonstrated significant declines in maximum dry density, plasticity index, and shear strength of contaminated soil when compared with natural soil. Conversely, increases in liquid limit, plastic limit, consolidation settlement, as well as soil collapse index were observed. Furthermore, a decrease in the amount of minerals in the XRD results and the formation of a flocculated structure in the SEM images in MAP-contaminated soil are evident. According to microstructural analysis, adding nano A, nano F, and AF nanohybrid as an improvement phase caused remediation of the soil structure and created cementation bonds between soil particles, thereby increasing the maximum dry density and soil shear strength, and decreasing the consolidation settlement and soil collapse index. Therefore, the use of AF as an efficient additive to remediate physical and mechanical properties of soils that have been contaminated with MAP, and to decrease the geological hazards of these kinds of contamination is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, the influence of spatial variability of the undrained shear strength of foundation soils on the bearing capacity of footings is limited to footings seated directly on the foundation. This is an unlikely arrangement in practice. This paper revisits the footing problem by considering a thin granular layer between a strip footing and soft foundation soil using analytical and stochastic numerical modeling. The analyses are extended to the case of a geosynthetic-reinforced granular layer and to the idealized case of no granular layer. The study shows that the probability that the ultimate bearing capacity for the footing is smaller than the deterministic design value is greater for all three scenarios with randomly uniform clay soil than for the same soil with isotropic or anisotropic spatial variability of strength at practical levels of reliability index β (e.g., β≥3.09 for a permanent footing). The reason for this outcome, which may appear counterintuitive, is explained. Design charts are provided to estimate the deterministic design bearing capacity of a rigid strip footing required to meet a range of target reliability index for the three footing scenarios examined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a modified/extended rotational hardening (RH) rule is applied to the nonassociated simple anisotropic constitutive model, SANICLAY-D, for clayey soils. In the proposed model, the destructuration mechanism, as well as zero and nonzero fabric anisotropy at critical state (CS), are considered. A detailed model formulation with the RH rule that yields a unique CS in the e-ln(p′) space is presented including an appropriate form of the relatively simple substepping integration algorithm. In addition, the model is implemented into ABAQUS finite-element software using a User-defined Material (UMAT) subroutine and used in the simulation of various experimental tests. The modified SANICLAY-D model (SANICLAY-MD) is meticulously calibrated step by step for Saint-Alban sensitive soft clay. Drained and undrained triaxial tests after various consolidation paths as well as the direct simple shear (DSS) test are simulated for Saint-Alban and Bothkennar clays as a boundary value problem. Simulation results approve the SANICLAY-MD model's performance in the prediction of the natural soil behavior. Results show that neglecting the effect of fabric anisotropy at CS and destructuration of natural clays can lead to inaccurate prediction in the constitutive modeling of intact soft soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the second-order reliability-based design optimization (SORBDO) of unsaturated finite slopes. An efficient search algorithm is proposed to locate the most probable slip surfaces using the Morgenstern–Price method of slices. The variability of fitting parameters of the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and shear strength parameters have been taken into account for evaluating the reliability of unsaturated finite slopes. Six unsaturated shear strength (USS) models are considered for the analysis of unsaturated soils. The most conservative model for the optimum design of finite slopes is recommended. Moreover, the results indicate that the mean and standard deviation of the fitting parameters of SWCC have a significant effect on the critical centers, critical slip surfaces, and reliability index of the unsaturated finite slopes. The results demonstrate a significant change in the critical centers associated with critical slip surfaces due to the change in the mean and coefficient of variation of the fitting parameters of SWCC. Statistical analysis of the experimental data shows that a positive correlation exists between fitting parameters of SWCC related to air entry value (af) and residual water content (mf). Negative correlations are found between the fitting parameters of SWCC related to air entry value (af) and slope (nf). Similarly, the SWCC fitting parameters related to residual water content (mf) and slope (nf) have negative correlations for clayey soils. It is observed that the correlated value of the reliability index is overestimated with reference to the uncorrelated value for clayey soil slopes. The proposed design charts are beneficial for engineers and practitioners for the sustainable design of unsaturated finite slopes. Overall, the developed rigorous SORBDO framework offers a more rational approach for assessing critical failure surfaces and critical centers, considering the interdependency of random variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavation causes disturbance to the surrounding soil, affecting the soil's mechanical properties. This study presents a case study to investigate the effect of excavation disturbance on soil properties and pile capacity via in situ tests. A series of multifunctional piezocone tests, multichannel analysis of surface wave tests, and electrical resistivity tomography tests were conducted at three sites of the Taihu tunnel region before and after excavation with different depths. The changes in soil mechanical properties and the pile capacity loss were evaluated using the test results. The results indicated that excavation disturbance decreased the cone tip resistance, sleeve friction, soil resistivity, shear wave velocity, and undrained shear strength. In contrast, the friction ratio and the effective friction angle were not affected. The average cone tip resistance of soils in the excavation disturbance zone was approximately 51%, 46%, and 62% of its initial value at Sites A, B, and C, respectively. The variation in soil properties was only observed within a limited depth below the excavation surface, which is defined as the excavation disturbance zone. The piezocone test successfully identified the depth of the excavation disturbance zone, and the disturbance zone height was approximately 0.42 times the excavation depth. In the disturbance zone, the cone tip resistance and the undrained shear strength of the soil decreased linearly from approximately 90%–0% with increasing depth. Because of excavation disturbance, the axial and lateral capacities of a pile beneath the Taihu tunnel were reduced by about 9% and 50%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical and mechanical behavior of soil polymer composites tightly depends on the properties and structures of both soil and polymer. This study aims to investigate the effect of glass transition temperature as one of the most important characteristics of adhesive resins of acrylic polymers on the geotechnical behavior of soils that have not been fully covered by previous studies. To achieve that, three similar copolymers of methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate with different glass-transition temperatures of 1°C, 33°C, and 51°C were synthesized, and two representative specimens of cohesive (kaolinite clay) and noncohesive (sand) soils were chosen to perform a full investigation of the consequential changes in the physical and mechanical behavior. A series of laboratory tests, including the Atterberg limits tests, the unconfined compressive strength tests, direct shear tests in soaked and unsoaked conditions, swelling tests, and odometer tests, were conducted on untreated and treated soils with synthesized polymers. The results showed a salient enhancement in the cohesion and the unconfined compressive strength value of both soils. However, the polymer with a glass-transition temperature near to ambient temperature led to a greater increase in the compressive and shear strength of stabilized soil among its peers. Samples treated with the polymer having the lowest glass transition temperature revealed a more compression index (i.e., obtained from odometer tests) and lower unconfined compressive strength. It is also observed that the swelling index and swelling pressure decreased marginally with increasing the glass transition temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The writers appreciate the discussers' recognition of the pioneering and novel nature of the original work, which provides a unified effective stress equation for all types of soils under all saturation conditions. However, the discussers fail to appreciate the importance of the roles of soil water adsorption mechanisms in soil water retention and effective stress, given the ample experimental evidence presented in our work and other previously published work. Instead, they raise some points, which are academically thought-provoking notions that are largely reflections of the misunderstanding of the importance of the soil sorptive potential (SSP) concept and the roles of SSP in the effective stress in soils, as detailed subsequently, following the order outlined by the discussers. The discussers consider that the sole mechanical energy in soil water is capillary pressure as they state "That [capillary water] is presumably why many researchers have previously suggested that capillary water, solely, plays a role in the mechanical behavior of unsaturated soil.". [Extracted from the article]

As discussed by Been and Jefferies, normally consolidated soil specimens with the same HT ht exhibit similar consolidation stress-normalized stress-strain-strength behavior (i.e., similar stress paths and critical state shear strengths). Consider a soil specimen at the preshearing effective vertical stress, HT ht , after unloading from a maximum effective vertical stress, HT ht . [Extracted from the article]

To study effect of plasticity on shear behavior of low-plasticity fine-grained soil, a Mississippi River Valley (MRV) silt with a plasticity index (PI) of 5.8 was treated with different dosages of sodium bentonite to modify its plasticity up to a PI of 13.5. The naturally occurring material originated from the MRV exhibited dilative behavior under normally consolidated conditions. The silt-bentonite mixtures tend to lose quasi-steady-state strength and dilative characteristics as the plasticity increased. At a PI of 13.5, the silt-bentonite mixture had plastic stress-strain clay-like behavior. Overconsolidation did not influence the friction angle of the natural silt, but for silt-bentonite mixtures with Pis of 6.2 and 9.4 the influence of prestress was evident. The normalized shear strength was significantly reduced with an increase in PI from 5.8 (natural MRV silt) to 6.0 (natural MRV silt with 2.5% bentonite added). Compared to the predictive relationships proposed by other researchers, the normalized shear strength of the natural silt was clearly higher. The critical PI was about 6 to differentiate clay-like soil and intermediate soil for the subject silt. The PI was found not to be an ideal parameter to identify the transformation of the shear behavior of the MRV silt, because the shear behavior had a big change with a slight change of PI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation of stress-strain state induces changes in the permeability of clayey soil and then affects the properties of seepage and consolidation. In previous studies, variations of the permeability of soil in shear process were mainly neglected, and there were no reasonable descriptions of the permeability in such a condition. To study the variation of the hydraulic conductivity of clayey soil in shear process, new triaxial seepage equipment was designed by changing the conventional triaxial apparatus. Based on a series of tests under different confining pressures carried out by this equipment, the influences of the stress-strain state of clayey soil on hydraulic conductivity were investigated. Furthermore, a mathematical model for the hydraulic conductivity of clayey soil under the condition of large shear deformation was proposed. The comparison between the seepage test results and the calculated values of the proposed model indicates that the mathematical model can calibrate the effects of the void ratio and the mesostructure on the hydraulic conductivity of soil in shear process very well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full-flow ball penetrometer is now routinely used in centrifuge testing for characterizing single-layer clay, silt, sand, and stratified soil samples. The behavior of the standard ball penetrometer (including the shaft) used in the field, penetrating through single and two-layer uniform clays, has recently been investigated. However, the ball penetrometers used in centrifuge testing has either a similar or higher area ratio (of the shaft to the ball) and significantly greater equivalent prototype diameter compared with the standard one used in the field. The thickness of the soil layers, however, are scaled accurately mimicking strength profiles in the field, leading to lower relative thickness of the soil layers. Large deformation finite element (LDFE) analyses were, therefore, carried out for the centrifuge ball penetrometers to investigate its performance in characterization of single- and double-layer clays. The results were validated against plasticity solutions and other previously published finite element (FE) results prior to undertaking a detailed parametric study, exploring a range of normalized soil properties and layer thickness. Three commonly used centrifuge balls were studied. For single-layer uniform clay, the area ratio of shaft to ball was shown to have significant influence on the deep bearing factors and the critical penetration depth of attaining that factor. For two-layer uniform clays, the undrained shear strength of the top layer was mostly underestimated because of the lower thickness of that layer relative to the centrifuge ball diameter. In addition, the shear strength of the bottom layer was mostly overestimated because of trapping of stiff clay at the base of the ball, advancing in stiff-over-soft clay deposits. To interpret a reference undrained strength profile, taking into account the scale effects of the penetrometer relative to layer thickness, a framework has been proposed accounting for these effects, with the LDFE data used to calibrate the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic hollow cylinder torsional tests were performed in undrained conditions on 12 compacted clay specimens collected from two types of dams (an earth-core rock-filled dam and an earth-zone dam) in Thailand. The cyclic degradation, cyclic pore water pressure generation, and volumetric cyclic threshold shear strain were studied via multistage strain-controlled tests. The testing program encompassed five overconsolidation ratios (OCRs), 1, 1.5, 2, 3.5, and 4, where six to eight cyclic strain-controlled stages were applied in each test with frequency f = 2 Hz. The results reveal that the volumetric threshold shear strain amplitude of these compacted clays ranged between approximately 0.009 and 0.025% and generally increased substantially with the plasticity index (PI). The cyclic pore water pressures normalized by σc′ are consistently lower than previous ones using other types of clays tested with other types of devices at comparable cyclic shear strain amplitudes. The cyclic degradation and cyclic pore water pressure in compacted clay are significantly affected by the OCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Das and Deb ([5]) argued that the stress concentration ratio (SCR) increased as the modular ratio (the elastic modulus of support pile and soft soil, i.e., HT ht ) increased. The HT ht was derived about 10,000 from the original Table 1, and the monitored SCR reached a maximum value of 6.6 at the end of embankment construction shown in Fig. In practice, HT ht could be calculated using the HT ht method ([9]; [12]), the HT ht method (the effective stress method, [17], [15], [16]), or the HT ht method ([13]). [Extracted from the article]

The anisotropic nature of response and degradation of shear strength from the undisturbed condition to the remolded state are two fundamental and challenging aspects of response in some clay deposits. This paper presents a comprehensive, yet flexible and practical, version of the SANICLAY model and its application to a seismic slope-stability problem. The model is based on the well-known isotropic modified Cam-Clay model with two additional mechanisms to account for anisotropy and destructuration. The model has been efficiently implemented in a three-dimensional (3D) continuum, coupled, dynamic, finite-difference program. The program has been used to analyze the seismic response of clay slopes to gain better insight into the role of the previously mentioned parameters in real applications. Different aspects of the model, including anisotropy and destructuration, and their effects on the earthquake-induced strains and deformations in the slope have then been explored and presented. By providing a link between the model parameters and the soil's undrained shear strength, which is a well-known engineering parameter, a benchmark comparison has been made between the results of the present advanced model and those of an engineering approach. To this end, a modified Newmark sliding-block analysis has been used, in which the yield acceleration is gradually reduced as block sliding progresses during the earthquake. It is observed that although the two analyses display the same trends, the modified Newmark sliding-block method provides conservative results compared with those obtained from the developed simulation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the spatial distribution of the excess pore-water pressure induced by piezocone penetration into overconsolidated clays. From the experimental results obtained for moderately and heavily overconsolidated clays, it was observed that the excess pore-water pressure increases monotonically from the piezocone surface to the outer boundary of the shear zone and then decreases logarithmically, approaching zero at the outer boundary of the plastic zone. It was also found that the size of the shear zone decreases from approximately 2.2 to 1.5 times the cone radius with increasing overconsolidation ratio (OCR), whereas the plastic radius is about 11 times the piezocone radius, regardless of the OCR. The expressions developed in this study based on the modified Cam clay model and the cylindrical cavity expansion theory, which take into consideration the effects of the strain rate and stress anisotropy, provide a good prediction of the initial pore-water pressure at the piezocone location. The method of predicting the spatial distribution of excess pore-water pressure proposed in this study is based on a linearly increasing Δushear in the shear zone and a logarithmically decreasing Δuoct, and was verified by comparing the pore-water pressure measured in overconsolidated specimens in the calibration chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two commonly encountered saprolitic soils in Hong Kong, weathered volcanic tuff (WT) and weathered granite (WG), were studied using high-quality intact samples. The intact samples exhibited quasi-preconsolidation pressure or yield stress under isotropic compression due to their bonded structures, but the yield was progressive and not abrupt. As the stress increased, significant volumetric changes were measured. These changes resembled clay-type behavior. The soils also exhibited anisotropic deformation under isotropic loading and unloading, which was associated with the features of their parent rocks. During the drained tests, shearing at the in situ stress-state produced peak strength and volumetric dilation. Undrained shearing showed complicated stress paths and dilatancy behavior in these soils. Phase transformation states and dilative shear failure were readily seen, which resembles typical sand-type behavior. Distinct shear band(s) appeared in the WT specimens during shearing, whereas a bulging type of failure appeared in the WG specimens. The soils ultimately approached the corresponding state guided by a unique critical state line, regardless of their complex initial states in relation to the bonded structure and drainage conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study was conducted to measure small-strain shear moduli of chemically treated sulfate-bearing expansive soils using the bender element test. The bender element test was chosen because it provides reliable and repeatable small strain shear modulus measurements and allows for the periodical monitoring of stiffness property responses of soil specimens under varying curing conditions. Bender element tests were conducted on cement and lime treated soils and the results were then analyzed to study the variations in stiffness properties of soil specimens at different sulfate levels and curing conditions. Both cement and lime treated natural and artificial clays with low sulfate level of 1,000 ppm showed considerable enhancements in small strain shear moduli, whereas the same treated soils at high sulfate level of 10,000 ppm showed less enhancements in shear moduli due to sulfate heaving. Also, enhancements in shear moduli were lower for soil specimens continuously soaked under water compared to those cured in the humidity room. Rates of stiffness enhancements due to stabilizer type, compaction moisture content, type of curing, and sulfate levels are quantified and summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important consideration for landfill liners and covers constructed in the frost zone of cold climates is the possible deterioration in performance due to freeze-thaw cycling over the design life of the liner or cover system. Several examples in the literature show that geosynthetic clay liners can withstand a limited number of freeze-thaw events, but data on long-term freeze-thaw performance are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the long-term performance of geosynthetic clay liners exposed to repeated freeze-thaw cycles, encompassing their application as a final cover as well as a bottom liner. Measurements of hydraulic conductivity were performed after as many as 150 freeze-thaw cycles, with no appreciable increases observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triaxial consolidation undrained shear tests are performed on both undisturbed and remolded Ariake clays to investigate the undrained shear strength behavior. When the applied confining stress is larger than the triaxial consolidation yield stress, the strength envelopes expressed in the plot of undrained shear strength versus confining stress of both the undisturbed and the remolded Ariake clays are straight lines through the origin. The strength envelope of the remolded Ariake clays lies above that of the undisturbed Ariake clays when the applied confining stress is larger than the consolidation yield stress. This difference is caused by the difference in water content between undisturbed and remolded states. When the data obtained from triaxial consolidation undrained shear tests of both the undisturbed and the remolded Ariake clays are plotted in the plot of undrained shear strength versus water content, it is found that the undrained shear strength decreases uniquely with the increase in water content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term undrained stability often controls the design of braced excavations in soft clays. This paper summarizes the formulation of numerical limit analyses that compute rigorous upper and lower bounds on the exact stability number and include anisotropic yielding, typical of K[SUB0]-consolidated clays and bending failure of the wall. Calculations for braced cuts bound the actual failure conditions within ±5%, and highlight limitations of existing basal stability equations. The analyses clarify how wall embedment and bending capacity improve the stability of well braced excavations. Careful selection of mobilized strengths at shear strains in the range 0.6-1.0% are necessary to match the predictions of anisotropic limit analyses with nonlinear finite-element predictions of failure for the embedded walls. Two example applications from recent projects in Boston highlight the practicality of the numerical limit analyses for modeling realistic soil profiles and lateral earth support systems, but also focus attention on the need for careful selection of undrained strength parameters. Credible estimates of stability have also been obtained in reanalyzing a series of case studies reported in literature using isotropic strength parameters derived from field vane or laboratory simple shear tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study that discussed a four-parameter model that can represent the shear modulus factors and damping coefficients for granular soils. Information on nonlinear soil behavior; Effect of confining pressure on modulus and damping; Experimental data on cohesionless soils; Details on the MIT-S1 stress soil model for clays and sands.

A review of the article "Shear Strength of Clay at Different Shear Rates," by Ivan B. Gratchev and Kyoji Sassa, is presented.

A review of the article "Shear Strength of Clay at Different Shear Rates," by Ivan B. Gratchev and Kyoji Sassa, is presented.