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In this paper, a constitutive model is presented to model the behavior of various soils (sand and clay) in different loading conditions and the minimum required parameters are obtained. Although some practical features (concepts) of the bounding surface framework and modified Cam-Clay have been employed in its formulations, the model is developed mainly based on the generalized plasticity framework. Moreover, some concepts such as dilatancy relation and loading history surface are redefined. Finally, the proposed constitutive model is evaluated using the experimental data related to two different sandy soils and three different clays under different loading conditions. Finally, it is concluded that the proposed constitutive model can easily be calibrated for various clayey and sandy soils. It can depict different behavioral aspects of these soils under different monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest method of waste disposal is dumping waste in landfills. The important component of landfills which prevents the passage of leachate to the subsoil is defined as the bottom liner. A landfill liner must contain a specific range in terms of swelling behavior, strength, and permeability before placing down beneath the constructed landfills. The present paper summarizes the detail of the different materials and their feasibility which satisfy the criteria to be used as landfills liner. The detail of findings of microstructural analysis (SEM–EDX, XRD, FT-IR, etc.) along with the waste materials which compact the particles and enhance the strength and stability of soils is also discussed. A lot of landfill liner materials such as Bentonite, sand, fly ash, cement, biochar, marine clay, lateritic soil, and geosynthetics have been used to enhance the geotechnical properties of liners. Among all, geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) and compacted clay liner (CCL) show increased hydraulic conductivity for clay soil with high plasticity whereas this value reduces for clayey soil having low plasticity with the increase in the concentration of the salt solution. The hydraulic conductivity of the mix containing biochar, bentonite, and sand is found to be 1 × 10−9 m/s. The hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of the soil increases while the compressibility of the soil decreases with an increase in the biochar percentage having smaller particle size. Also, the alkaline activator is suggested to be best for soil stabilization as compared to standard Portland cement. The development of new materials must be environmentally sustainable and should contain sufficient shear strength so that it can sustain the overburdened load of dumped waste. It should also be free from cracking so that the contamination of subsoil and groundwater can be minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers the methods for predicting the technological settlements of buildings in the zone of influence of the construction of deep pit fences in the form of a cut-off wall of the trench type, borehole and bored-secant piles, jacked and vibro-driven sheet piles. The results of studies that allow predicting certain types of technological settlements in various engineering and geological conditions, including soil bases composed of water-saturated weak clay soils and loose sands, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the finite element method (FEM) is applied to calculate the bearing capacity of two footings having the aspect ratio L/B (where L and B are the length and width of the footing, respectively) equal to 1, 2 resting on one-layer and two-layer soil. Soil profile contains two soil types including sand and clay. The soil strip is 500mm × 500mm × 350mm; however, only a quarter of the model (250mm × 250mm × 350mm) is examined in the study. Two primary situations are investigated in this study. In the first situation, the one-layer system is supposed to be sandy soil with footing overlays on medium-dense sand. The soft clay/stabilized clayey layer is supposed to be on top of the sandy soil in the second condition, with the footing resting on top of the soft clay/stabilized clay. The influence of layer thickness, aspect ratio, and material property on the bearing capacity value and footing failure mechanism is studied for eight different combinations of layered soil. The bearing capacity for a one-layer case is also estimated, and it agrees well with Vesic (1973), Hansen (1970), and Terzaghi's (1943) equations. The bearing capacity of footings is observed to decline when the height of unstabilized clayey soil increases, and it increases when clayey soil is stabilized with molasses, waste foundry sand, and lime alone and in combination with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a soil bio-stabilization technique using bacterial enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (BEICP) as an alternative to previous conventional methods including microbial-induced carbonate precipitation and plant-derived enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation. The extracted urease enzyme of viable S. pasteurii was used as a biological source along with calcium chloride and urea to solidify sandy soil and silty sand soil. The bio-treated soil columns were subjected to freeze and thaw (F–T) cycling for a durability evaluation. Engineering properties of bio-cemented soil including unconfined compressive strength, calcium carbonate contents, moisture contents, porosity, permeability, and microstructure were examined before and after the F–T durations. It was found that although bio-stabilizer was able to increase a frost duration of soil, the F–T cycling significantly impacted on the compressive strength of bio-treated soil, due to a formation of microcracks. This investigation has revealed that the BEICP method provided a similar capacity in F–T resistance of soil as using the traditional Portland cement stabilizer, whereas the class F fly ash did not improve F–T durability of medium dense soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sand drift erosion is common on aeolian landforms, particularly in the Gobi desert where sand drift is often quite strong. Sand drift erosion can lead to many types of hazards, including severe crop loss, structural damage to buildings or infrastructure, and abrasion of soil or clay components that contribute to the production of fine particulate matter. This article combines the Gobi sand flow model with the solid particles erosion model to simulate the sand drift erosion process in a variety of Gobi environments. The results show that the impact erosion of saltation particles is highly dependent on both the friction velocity and the gravel coverage. Saltation erosion amount increases with the increment of friction velocity and the gravel coverage. The vertical profile of saltating erosion rate displays a clear stratification pattern composed of a linear increasing layer, a damage layer, and a monotonic decreasing layer. The maximum value of the saltation erosion rate increases as the friction velocity increases and their curve shows a power-law relationship. The damage height caused by saltation erosion is primarily concentrated in the height range of 0.03 m to 0.15 m, and it increases approximately linearly with friction velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clay soils consist of fine particles and are generally characterized by low strength. The clays and the water interactions result to clays high-plasticity that can easily deform or crack. It should be noted that the sand addition to expansive soils can help to improve their particle size, reduce their plasticity, and consequently increase their strength. The present study aims mainly to develop prediction model of the plasticity index (PI) using the artificial neural network (ANN) method for soil treated with sand at various contents. For the purpose of predicting the plasticity index values of sand-treated soils, the experimental results were conducted on 38 soil samples, collected and thoroughly analyzed. The experimental investigation carried out on the clayey soil from the region of Medea, Algeria and treated with dune sand. It was decided to consider three inputs, namely the plastic limit, liquid limit, and sand percentage, while there was only one output, i.e. the plasticity index. The proposed model performance has been validated by the experimental test results and show that the relative error is very low (MRE = 1.06%). The proposed model could be used for predicting the plasticity index of treated clayey with sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critical state theory has been widely implemented in many models to predict the constitutive behavior of clayey soil. However, the notion of a unique critical state locus for sand/granular materials has been questioned in the published literature, suggesting the contribution of other microscale input variables represented by what is known as material fabric. Many numerical and experimental studies have quantified fabric reconstruction in rudimentary granular materials (i.e., 2D disks and spheres) in an attempt to incorporate fabric as an essential variable for CS attainment, which led to the development of the anisotropic critical state theory (ACST). Yet, no published literature has experimentally evaluated the ACST when implemented in 3D for natural sands. This paper evaluates the ACST for natural sand by incorporating the reconstruction of 3D normal to contact vectors between particles as measured using 3D imaging of in situ synchrotron micro-computed tomography scans that were acquired for conventional triaxial compression (CTC) experiments. The comparison between model predictions and experimental results advocates for the ability of the ACST to accurately predict the stress–dilatancy relationships of sheared sand specimens under different stress levels and initial density states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical characteristics of coral reef sandy soil is significantly different from the sand and clay soils. Currently, Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation is still commonly applied to evaluate the bearing capacity of coral reef, while the calculation result is not consistent with the actual condition. Based on a port project in east Africa, plate loading test of the coral reef sandy soil has been conducted and the P-S curves are obtained, and the bearing capacity values obtained from the plate loading test results are compared with the calculated results based on the Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation. According to multiple linear regression and the optimal regression equation selected by the significance test, the modified Terzaghi foundation equation of bearing capacity in coral reef sandy soil area is proposed, and the modified Terzaghi foundation equation has important reference value for the calculating of the bearing capacity of the coral reef sandy soil foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed experimental programme was conducted to evaluate the liquefaction susceptibility of non-plastic and low-plasticity soils subjected to cyclic loading under undrained triaxial loading conditions. The study mainly focused on examining the influence of the amount of fines and plasticity indices on the liquefaction resistance of sands. After mixing silt and clay fractions into fine sand, 16 soil combinations were prepared. The silty sands contained up to 40% non-plastic fines and the low-plasticity soils contained a clay fraction of 5–40%. Each cylindrical soil specimen was constituted to a medium relative density and saturated specimens were subjected to a confinement pressure of 100 kPa. The consolidated specimens were then subjected to various levels of cyclic stress amplitudes using a sinusoidal wave load form at a frequency of 1 Hz. The results showed that both the non-plastic and low-plasticity clay soils were less resistant to liquefaction than the fine sand. The soils belonging to categories SM and SC (silty sand and clayey sand, respectively, as per Indian standard soil classifications) were susceptible to liquefaction if the fines passing through a 75 μm sieve were ≤ 40%, the liquid limit was ≤ 40%, the plasticity index was < 15 and the saturated water content was about 0.86 times the LL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of the additive metakaolin on the strength parameters of clayey sand soil. For this purpose, in addition to identification tests, a set of experiments including Atterberg limits and modified Proctor, uniaxial compressive strength, direct shear, permeability, and pH tests have been performed on some samples of the clayey sand soil under non-stabilized and stabilized conditions for different percentages of metakaolin. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been performed to investigate the microstructure of the non-stabilized and stabilized soil. The results showed that the maximum extent of increase in the strength occurred by metakaolin 25% and after 28 days of curing. Furthermore, elevation of the weight percentage of metakaolin in clayey sand soil causes to increase shear strength, diminish hydraulic conductivity, reduce the maximum specific dry weight of soil, and increase optimal water content, but it has a minor effect on pH value during the curing time. Investigation of the results obtained from XRD of the sample treated with metakaolin indicated the emergence of the cement compound called calcium silicate hydrate (CSH). Furthermore, the results of SEM imaging indicated that with the addition of metakaolin, the dispersed structure of soil changes into a flocculated structure, thereby enhances the soil strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three extractions were used to assess the availability of micronutrients in different soil collections. The suitability of some extractions under the conditions of Egyptian soils will be discussed. Three extraction methods (Mehlic 3, Soltanpour and Kelowna) were used for the determination of available Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu and B content of the soil samples (sand, calcareous and clay) during 2020 season. Surface soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected from three sites of Al Boston area in the new Nobaria, Governorate, Egypt, during 2020 season. From each selected plot, ten points were selected in a zig-zag path. The results revealed that the highest values of available Fe, Zn and Cu were given with the extraction solution of Soltanpour, while the highest values of available Mn and B were given with the extraction solution of Mehlic 3. On the other hand, the results showed that clay soil recorded the maximum available Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu, while calcareous soil recorded the maximum available boron content. The interaction between different extraction methods and soil samples was highly significant during 2020 season. [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]

This paper describes a one-dimensional (1D) computational model for the analysis and design of laterally loaded monopile foundations for offshore wind turbine applications. The model represents the monopile as an embedded beam and specially formulated functions, referred to as soil reaction curves, are employed to represent the various components of soil reaction that are assumed to act on the pile. This design model was an outcome of a recently completed joint industry research project – known as PISA – on the development of new procedures for the design of monopile foundations for offshore wind applications. The overall framework of the model, and an application to a stiff glacial clay till soil, is described in a companion paper by Byrne and co-workers; the current paper describes an alternative formulation that has been developed for soil reaction curves that are applicable to monopiles installed at offshore homogeneous sand sites, for drained loading. The 1D model is calibrated using data from a set of three-dimensional finite-element analyses, conducted over a calibration space comprising pile geometries, loading configurations and soil relative densities that span typical design values. The performance of the model is demonstrated by the analysis of example design cases. The current form of the model is applicable to homogeneous soil and monotonic loading, although extensions to soil layering and cyclic loading are possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focused on analyzing the engineering properties and geotechnical changes of the soil contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons, compared to non-contaminated soil. Also, identifying the physical and chemical behaviors and the interaction mechanisms between soil and contaminants at the time of contamination is far-reaching. This study aims to investigate the effects of petroleum contaminants on Atterberg limits, cation-exchange capacity, electrical conductivity and acidity, maximum dry density, and optimum moisture content of clay soil compared to non-contaminated samples with similar geological conditions in Gachsaran petroleum refinery region. The significant effects of contaminants on clay soil include an increase in cation-exchange capacity and electrical conductivity, but a decrease in acidity compared to non-contaminated samples. The results of the Atterberg limit as a physical index of the soil showed an increase in the petroleum hydrocarbon concentration, which enhanced the plastic and liquid limits, but decreased the plasticity index. The results of compaction tests using water and oil fluids indicated that the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in sandy soil increased maximum dry density and decreased optimum moisture content. Moreover, in a soil sample with stable pollution levels, maximum dry density and optimum moisture content were higher and lower in the compaction test using water fluid compared to those in compaction tests using oil fluid, respectively. Finally, increasing the soil pollution level reduced the difference between maximum dry density and the optimum moisture content in the compaction test using water fluid compared to the same test using oil fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most marine reclamation projects, sand fill is placed directly on soft marine seabed soils. The sand particles can easily penetrate into the soft marine soils, and the soft soil can also move into the pore spaces inside the sand at the initial contact interface between the sand and the soft marine soil. In this case, the permeability and the volume of the sand above the initial surface are reduced. To avoid this problem, a geotextile separator is often placed on the surface of the soft marine soils before placing the sand. In this study, a two-dimensional physical model is utilized to study the geotextile separator effects. The initial conditions of a clayey soil, sand fill, and surcharge loading were kept the same in the physical model test with the only difference being that a geotextile separator was either placed on the clay surface or omitted. The settlements of the initial interface were recorded and compared for the two cases without or with the geotextile separator. The particle size distribution of the soils taken across the interface zone for different time durations was then measured, analyzed, and compared. Based on an analysis of the results, the sand percolation depth was 40 mm and fine particle suffusion was apparent when the sand was placed directly on the marine slurry surface without a geotextile separator. However, when a geotextile separator was used sand percolation was avoided, and the fine particle suffusion was effectively diminished. A relative fine particle fraction is defined to illustrate the migration of fine particles from the clay to the sand soils. The fine particle percentages of the Hong Kong Marine Deposits–sand mixtures were calculated for the cases with and without a geotextile separator using an empirical formula and micromechanical modeling to obtain a better understanding of the effects of geotextile separators in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wear and friction cause huge economic losses in the agriculture and mining industries. Wear simulations of working elements, materials, and surfaces that can reduce downtime and economic losses. This work proposes the use a cone penetration resistance measurement result as option to determine movement resistance of soil ripper tine by the discrete element method. It allows avoiding mechanical properties investigation of soil. Simulation made in sand and sandy clay helps to compare wear track of tine wear plates with actual wear. The actual wear was evaluated by 3D scanning of a soil ripper tine wear plates made from tungsten carbide and cobalt alloy and compared with simulated tines. Wear loss expressed as loss of area at the cross-section of tine wear plate. The maximum wear loss of scanned ripper wear plate at 0–150 mm working depth is 1.8% and simulated-in-sand and simulated-in-sandy-clay 1.2 and 1.7%. The maximum actual wear loss caused 57.9% wear loss of cross-section area at 150–204 mm working depth. Simulation in sand and simulation in sandy clay soil 6.9 and 9% caused by lower soil resistance than in field experiments. Simulations in sandy clay soil increased the draft force by 3.9 and 2.8 times that in the sand, at 0–200 mm depth, for tine parts to account for the stiffness fraction of sandy clay soil. As an alternative, tine wear evaluation is also suggested from shear energy values. Image 1 • Wear modelled by discrete element method. • Soil hardness simulation. • Wear model comparison with field experiments. • Evaluation of wear dependency with respect to working depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drainage is important to golf and athletic facilities trying to avoid lost play time. Native soil containing clay is sometimes incorporated into sand profiles with the intent to increase water and nutrient holding capacities. However, mixes high in silt and/or clay often have drainage problems. Research was conducted on soil physical properties from incremental 10% v/v additions of silt and clay (fines) to a U.S. Golf Association (USGA)- specification sand. Soils were evaluated based on volumetric water retention from 0 to 50 cm matric potential, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), porosity, and bulk density. The soil water characteristic (SWC) for 100:0 (sand:fines) had lower volumetric water content (θv) throughout the profile than any other mixture. Addition of 10% fines increased θv to more than 0.17 cm3·cm-3 throughout the 0- to 50-cm matric potential range, whereas 20% fines increased θv to more than 0.26 cm3·cm-3. The 70:30 mixture had greater θv throughout the profile than mixtures containing more than 70% sand. Mixtures with less than 70% sand produced similar SWCs. Increasing sand content increased bulk density, which altered saturated volumetric water content. Ksat was reduced from more than 265 cm·h-1 in 100:0 mixtures to 43 cm·h-1 for 90:10 mixtures, and to less than 5 cm·h-1 with -20% fines. The addition of -20% by volume of fines to a USGA sand increased water content in the soil to the point it was rendered unacceptable for trafficked turf sites. This research illustrates the influence fine particles, even in small amounts, can have on a USGA sand, and why they should not be added without prior evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the dissipation of terbuthylazine, metolachlor, and mesotrione at different depths in soils with contrasting texture. The field trial was conducted at the Padua University Experimental Farm, north-east Italy. The persistence of three herbicides was studied in three different soil textures (clay soil, sandy soil, and loamy soil) at two depths (0-5 and 5-15 cm). Soil organic carbon content was highest in the clay (1.10%) followed by loam (0.67%) and sandy soil (0.24%); the pH of soils was sub-alkaline. Terbuthylazine, metolachlor, and mesotrione were applied on maize as a formulated product (Lumax®) at a dose of 3.5 L ha−1. Their dissipation in the treated plots was followed for 2 months after application. The concentrations of herbicides were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The dissipation of terbuthylazine, metolachlor, and mesotrione could be described by a pseudo first-order kinetics. Terbuthylazine showed the highest DT50, followed by metolachlor and mesotrione. Considering the tested soil, the highest DT50 value was found in clay soil for terbuthylazine and metolachlor, whereas for mesotrione there was no difference among soils. Significant differences were found between the two soil depths for terbuthylazine and metolachlor, whereas none were found for mesotrione. These results suggest that soil texture and depth have a strong influence on the dissipation of terbuthylazine and metolachlor, whereas no influence was observed on mesotrione because of its chemical and physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant ecologists require spatial information on functional soil properties but are often faced with soil classifications that are not directly interpretable or useful for statistical models. Sand and clay content are important soil properties because they indicate soil water-holding capacity and nutrient content, yet these data are not available for much of the landscape. Remotely sensed soil radiometric data offer promise for developing statistical models of functional soil properties applicable over large areas. Here, we build models linking radiometric data for an area of 40,000 km² with soil physicochemical data collected over a period of 30 years and demonstrate a strong relationship between gamma radiometric potassium (40K), thorium (232Th), and soil sand and clay content. Our models showed predictive performance of 43% with internal cross-validation (to held-out data) and ~30% for external validation to an independent test dataset. This work contributes to broader availability and uptake of remote sensing products for explaining patterns in plant distribution and performance across landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a well-identified fact that more elaborate laboratory studies should be carried out for evaluation of dynamic properties of different types of soils. Regardless of the mechanisms affecting the mechanical behaviour of the soils, past studies reveal that existence of fiber positively affects the strength of either cohesive or non-cohesive soils. A short literature survey provides numerous studies on the stress-strain behaviour of fine/coarse soils, reinforced by polypropylene fiber. On the other hand, studies concerning fiber reinforced soils subjected to dynamic loading are relatively rare. Therefore, in this research it was intended to investigate the effects of polypropylene fiber inclusion on the dynamic behavior of a clayey sand soil, within an experimental framework. In this scope, a number of cyclic triaxial compression tests were conducted to assess the effect of fiber presence. The effects of fiber length and content were experimentally evaluated. Hence, the variation of shear modulus ratio and damping ratio values by shear deformation was plotted to observe the effects of fiber length and inclusion level as well. The results are presented along with detailed evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of different polystyrene (PS) fractions added to laboratory standard soil particle sizes was evaluated using MIR spectra. • MIR absorbances from binary soil-PS mixtures were different. • MIR absorbances depend on the combination of the soil physical fraction and PS particle size. • No linearities were observed depending on the fraction analysed. As the volume of plastics produced, used, and discarded around the world continues to increase, the environmental pollution presented by these polymers and their by-products continues to be impacted. Different methods and techniques have been proposed to evaluate plastics in environmental samples, including soils. However, in most cases, the effect of variables such as plastic particle size, soil physical fractions, and interactions between them, was not evaluated or not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different polystyrene (PS) fractions added to laboratory standard soil particle sizes (clay, sand, and silt) on the attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of the samples. Additive-free PS was sieved in four particle sizes, namely fraction 1 (∼500–251 µm), fraction 2 (∼250–181 µm), fraction 3 (∼180–107 µm) and fraction 4 (∼106–46 µm). The PS fractions were used to spike four physical soil fractions such as clay, loam, sand and sandy and analysed using ATR-MIR spectroscopy (4000–400 cm−1). The results of this study indicated that the MIR absorbances at specific frequencies of the binary soil-PS mixtures are different and depend on the combination of the soil physical fraction and PS particle size. Overall, no linearities were observed depending on the fraction analysed. This is of importance as the data indicates a different behaviour on the MIR spectral properties of the sample. Although further validation is needed, these results might have a direct effect on the development of robust protocols to monitor MPs in complex matrices such as soil using MIR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case history of the successful application of observational method to instruction microtunneling with successive pipe-jacking. The microtunneling project is the construction of four parallel pipes under Guan River in Jiangsu, China. Four parallel tunnels with external diameter of 4,160 mm and horizontally spaced at 4.8 m apart were jacked over 450 m in cemented silty clay and sand by two slurry-balance microtunnel boring machines (MTBM) at a depth of 4.6 m under the river bed. Since the overburden soil is very thin, proper control of tunneling operations was of utmost importance for maintaining the stability of the river bed. In order to optimize the operation parameters prior to construction under the river bed, a field trial was conducted, which included measurement of ground surface settlement, subsurface settlement, and lateral displacement of the subsurface soils, as well as excess pore water pressure and earth pressure. The relationship between ground response and construction operation parameters is summarized. Appropriate operation parameters were applied during tunneling under Guan River. Although tunneling and pipe jacking under the river was successfully carried out, a difficulty was encountered when the MTBM reached the opposite bank and large settlements were observed. This paper discusses the technical issues faced and lessons learnt from interpretation of the monitoring data collected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the soil capping problem under central pivot irrigation system using different soil amendments. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design, replicated thrice. Mungbean (Vigna radiata L ) variety "Dera Mung" was used as test crop. Soil amendments were carried out through pure sand and farm yard manure (FYM) in equal proportions and in three different application rates viz., 60:60, 45:45 and 30:30 kg plot-1 and an un-amended soil plot was kept as control. The size of each plot was 4m x 3m. The results depicted that parameters such as number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length, number of grains per pod, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield were significantly affected by different soil amendments at P>0.05, except for number of clusters per plant. Maximum of 6.2 branches plant, 62.6 pods plant, 8.3cm pod length, 8.9 grains pod-1, and 43.3 g of 1000-grain were recorded in treatment where sand and FYM was applied to Vigna radiata @ 60:60 kg plot-11. Moreover maximum grain yield of 1253 kg ha-1 was also recorded in the same treatment; however, treatments with 45:45 and 30:30 (kg plot-1) ranked second and third with grain yield of 1195 kg ha-1 and 1153 kg ha-1, respectively. It was noticed that the bulk density value of the soil was decreased from 1.754 g cm-3 to 1.123 g cm-3 when pure sand and FYM was applied @ 60:60 kg plot-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although our previous study showed that clay caused aggregation and particle transport behavior of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, it is not known whether clay is preferred by C. formosanus as a substrate to live in and for bio-structure construction. In the present study, first a 24 h two-choice test was conducted to test the preference of termites to sand versus clay, both with 70 % water saturation. Significantly more termites aggregated on clay from 10 min after release on, and significantly longer tunnels were observed under clay blocks compared to sand. Two-choice tests with a 2-weeks duration were then conducted at three water saturation levels. Results showed that at 70 % saturation, a significantly higher percentage of termites aggregated in clay as compared to sand, and significantly more clay particles were deposited for shelter tube construction. At 30 and 50 % saturation however, no difference in termite aggregation was observed between clay and sand, and no shelter tubes were constructed. Our study shows that only clay with high moisture is preferred by C. formosanus. The water retention ability and physical properties of clay favor bio-structure construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the influence of clay content (CC) on liquefaction of seabed beneath progressive waves. Experiments were, for the most part, conducted with silt and silt-clay mixtures; in supplementary tests, sand-clay mixtures were used. Two types of measurements were carried out: (1) pore-water pressure measurements across the soil depth and (2) water-surface elevation measurements. These measurements were synchronized with video recordings of the liquefaction process from the side. The ranges of the various quantities in the experiments were wave height , wave period , and water depth . The experiments showed that the influence of CC on wave-induced liquefaction is very significant. Susceptibility of silt to liquefaction was increased with increasing CC up to (which is clay-specific), beyond which the mixture of silt and clay was not liquefied. Sand may become prone to liquefaction with the introduction of clay, contrary to the general perception that this type of sediment is normally liquefaction-resistant under waves. For instance, sand with was liquefied with , whereas sand with was partially liquefied with CC as small as 2.9%. Remarks are made as to how to check for liquefaction of clayey soils exposed to waves in real-life situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Results from a comprehensive series of suction-controlled ring shear tests, conducted on statically compacted specimens of silty clayey sand and silty sand, are presented. The experiments were accomplished in a newly developed servo/suction-controlled ring shear apparatus suitable for testing unsaturated soils under large deformations and suction-controlled conditions via the axis-translation technique. The present work focuses primarily on two crucial aspects of compacted unsaturated soil behavior, namely, the behavior of silty clayey sand under suction-controlled ring shear testing, and the effects of pre-shearing and suction histories on unsaturated residual shear strength of compacted silty sand. Test results corroborate the important role played by matric suction on residual shear strength properties of unsaturated soils. For the range of net normal stresses and suction states investigated, the increase in residual shear strength with increasing suction was confirmed to be a linear trend for silty sand, but significantly nonlinear for silty clayey sand. Results from multi-stage ring shear tests confirmed that the residual shear strength of unsaturated soils is virtually independent of the pre-shearing and suction histories experienced by the soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents response to a research conducted by Benjamin S. Kyambadde and colleagues regarding influence of gravel on strength and index properties of a clay soil. It informs that shear strengths of the clay–gravel mixtures remain unaffected when the gravel content is less than 45 percent and comments on greater variation in penetration depths in clay-gravel mixture. It also presents response from the authors of the discussed article.

Rapid load pile testing (RLT) techniques such as Statnamic were developed as an alternative to more frequently adopted static and dynamic tests. The existing unloading point method (UPM) for deriving equivalent static load-settlement behavior from rapid load tests seems to be adequate in coarse-grained soils but may result in poor prediction in clays and silts. To address these shortcomings, the UPM has been improved to reflect soil type, and new analysis techniques have been developed. To test the performance of the improved UPM and new analysis techniques, pile tests from two clay sites were analyzed. The first case study site was underlain by very to extremely high-plasticity Quaternary London clay, and the second site was underlain by low- to intermediate-plasticity matrix dominant glacial till. The best predictions of static equivalent load-settlement behavior for very-high-plasticity clay were obtained from a new analysis technique that incorporated a soil-specific rate effect parameter (selected on the basis of the clays' plasticity index) that varied with pile settlement. In general, the UPM performed better for tests undertaken in the low- to intermediate-plasticity glacial till, as there is greater experience of RLT in these soils. The results of the study suggest that the development of analysis techniques would benefit greatly from tests in a wider variety of soil types. On the basis of the findings of this study, improvements to the UPM and Schmuker techniques are presented, which include pile settlement-dependent variation of the damping and rate effect parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three types of polyurethane were synthesized from mixtures of toluene diisocyanate, polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol for use in soil stabilization to improve the erosion resistance. The three polyurethanes were tested at different aqueous concentrations and sand:clay mixtures at weight ratios of 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5. The results of the rainfall simulation, unconfined compression and direct shear tests showed that the polyurethanes improve both strength and erosion resistance significantly. The observed improvement in soil erosion resistance is attributable to the physico-chemical interaction of the long-chain macro-molecules of polyurethane with the clay fraction of the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen mineralization rates in ten surface soils amended with (200 μg N g-1 soil) or without broiler litter were investigated. The soil-broiler litter mixture was incubated at 25 ± 1°C for 28 weeks. A nonlinear regression approach for N mineralization was used to estimate the readily mineralizable organic N pools (N0) and the first-order rate constant (k). The cumulative N mineralized in the nonamended soils did not exceed 80 mg N kg-1 soil. However, in Decatur soil amended with broiler litter 2, it exceeded 320 mg N kg-1 soil. The greatest calculated N0 of the native soils was observed in Sucarnoochee soil alone (123 mg NO3 - kg-1 soil) which when amended with broiler litter 1 reached 596 mg N kg-1 soil. The added broiler litter mineralized initially at a fast rate (k1) followed by a slow rate (k2) of the most resistant fraction. Half-life of organic N remaining in the soils alone varied from 33 to 75 weeks and from 43 to 15 weeks in the amended soils. When N0 was regressed against soil organic N (r = 0.782"") and C (r = 0.884"""), positive linear relationships were obtained. The N0 pools increased with sand but decreased with silt and clay contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gas venting (mainly methane) was encountered during a deep excavation in a 40m thick clayey deposit (with silty sand lenses) overlying a shale layer believed to be the source of biogenic gas. The upward diffusion of methane and chloride from the bedrock aquifer through the clay till is modeled and the potential for chloride migration contributing to the exsolution of methane due to a reduction in methane solubility is discussed. Two approaches to modeling the lenses are examined where gas exsolution either occurs prior to the excavation, or during the excavation. Both approaches lead to similar conclusions although sand lenses were more prone to liquefaction if the methane was present in its gaseous state prior to unloading. The results suggest that while liquefaction of a sand lens near the base of the excavation may have contributed to the formation of the seeps and vents, the gassy response of sand lenses due to the exsolution of gas during unloading cannot explain the level of venting that was observed in the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This feasibility study examines the use of in situ microbial gas production to engineer the consolidation properties of clayey soils by changing the settlement-time profile. A simple analytical model has been proposed to assess the swelling of the soil during the steady-state gas production, and to predict immediate settlements due to loading at the end of this process. For experimental validation of the suggested technique, Clostridium acetobutylicum, an anaerobic fermentative microorganism, was mixed into clayey-sand samples, fed with a nutrient-rich medium, and allowed to produce gas in situ. A series of standard oedometer tests was performed on gas-containing and gas-free soil specimens. Results showed that, in agreement with the model predictions, in situ gas production caused negligible swelling of the samples, while shifting a significant portion (up to 50%) of total displacement from primary consolidation settlement to immediate settlement without changing total displacements or the coefficient of consolidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for predicting the nonlinear response of torsionally loaded piles in a two-layer soil profile, such as a clay or sand layer underlain by rock. The shear modulus of the upper soil is assumed to vary linearly with depth and the shear modulus of the lower soil is assumed to vary linearly with depth and then stay constant below the pile tip. The method uses the variational principle to derive the governing differential equations of a pile in a two-layer continuum and the elastic response of the pile is then determined by solving the derived differential equations. To consider the effect of soil yielding on the behavior of piles, the soil is assumed to behave linearly elastically at small strain levels and yield when the shear stress on the pile-soil interface exceeds the corresponding maximum shear resistance. To determine the maximum pile-soil interface shear resistance, methods that are available in the literature can be used. The proposed method is verified by comparing its results with existing elastic solutions and published small-scale model pile test results. Finally, the proposed method is used to analyze two full-scale field test piles and the predictions are in reasonable agreement with the measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Laboratory batch experiments were designed to study the adsorption of cadusafos on two types of soils: clay loamy and sandy, collected from two regions around the Nile Delta in Egypt. The adsorption process is fast reaching equilibrium in 60min, decreases with increasing soil mass and independent on pH in the range 3–11. The experimental results were well fitted to linear partition model, and to a lesser extent to Freundlich non-linear model, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich models. However, the 1/n parameter of Freundlich relation being of value around one supported the linear partition model. The K d values obtained from the linear model were 4.20 and 2.74L/g for sandy and clay soils, respectively. The energy of adsorption calculated from D–R equation was 4.36 and 5.04kJ/mol for clay and sandy soils, respectively, in the range assigned to physical forces. This kind of weak interaction, together with pH-independence implies that for the studied soils the organic content (that is higher in the clay soil) is not a major parameter in the adsorption of cadusafos. Water movement taking place more readily in sandy soil caused increased uptake relative to the case of clay soil. The higher uptake in sandy soil denotes that cadusafos may be mobile with a potential to leach and eventually pollutes ground water and surface water. The kinetics of adsorption was well fitted by the pseudo-second order equation. The intraparticles diffusion is of lower significance in case of sandy soil than in clay soil. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption is spontaneous, endothermic accompanied by increase in entropy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A large-strain/high-deformation rate model for clay-free sand recently proposed and validated in our work [1,2], has been extended to sand containing relatively small (< 15vol.%) of clay and having various levels of saturation with water. The model includes an equation of state which represents the material response under hydrostatic pressure, a strength model which captures material behavior under elastic-plastic conditions and a failure model which defines conditions and laws for the initiation and evolution of damage/failure in the material. The model was validated by comparing the computational results associated with detonation of a landmine in clayey sand (at different levels of saturation with water) with their computational counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predict the resistance of caisson penetrating in stratified soil deposits is an engineering challenge for application of such foundation system. This paper performs large deformation finite element analysis to investigate the penetration behavior of caisson foundations in non-uniform clay interbedded with a sand layer. The numerical model is validated by comparing with previously testing data, in which good agreement is obtained. Parametric study is then conducted to examine potential influencing factors, including the penetration depth, the top clay layer thickness, clay properties, and the thickness of the second sand layer. It is found that the soil failure mechanism and corresponding penetration resistance of caisson foundations in clay-sand-clay are significantly different from that in pure clay or sand soil deposits, especially for the part in the middle sand layer, where the peak resistance could be overestimated by 10–40% using the current design codes without considering the influence of the weak underlying layer. In this study, based on intensive numerical modeling results, approximating expressions are proposed to describe the unique trends of the resistance profile for caisson penetration in non-uniform clay interbedded with a sand layer soil deposit, which can provide design guide for engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the adequacy of the 100-year discharge along with the Froehlich bridge abutment scour equation adopted by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) in predicting abutment scour for bridge design purposes in South Carolina streams. The analysis utilized bridge properties, stream cross-sectional and hydraulic data, local flood frequency equations, a one-dimensional steady river flow computer model (WSPRO), and procedures recommended by the FHwA for predicting abutment scour. A method was developed to identify the single stream-discharge at each bridge that can cause the abutment scour that was observed at 73 bridge abutments. Analysis of the results revealed that for one-third of the abutments in the sandy soil region of South Carolina, the flow rates required to produce the observed scour depths had return periods greater than 100 years. Although for bridges in the region dominated by clay soil, the return periods were significantly smaller than 100 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laboratory and field test data on the response of piles under the combined action of vertical and lateral loads is rather limited. The current practice for design of piles is to consider the vertical and lateral loads independent of each other. This paper presents some results from three-dimensional finite-element analyses that show the significant influence of vertical loads on a pile’s lateral response. The analyses were performed in both homogeneous clayey soils and homogeneous sandy soils. The results have shown that the influence of vertical loads on the lateral response of piles is to significantly increase the capacity in sandy soils and marginally decrease the capacity in clayey soils. In general, it was found that the effect of vertical loads in sandy soils is significant even for long piles, which are as long as 30 times the pile width, while in the case of clayey soils, the effect is not significant for piles beyond a length of 15 times the width of the pile. The design bending moments in the laterally loaded piles were also found to be dependent on the level of vertical load on the piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Clayey sand can be considered as a composite matrix of coarse and fine grains. The interaction between coarser and finer grain matrices affects the overall stress–strain behavior of these soils. Intergranular void ratio, e s (which is the void ratio of the coarser grain matrix) can be utilized as an alternative parameter to express the compressive response of such soils. Oedometer tests conducted on reconstituted kaolinite–sand mixtures indicate that initial conditions, percentage of fines, and stress conditions influence the compression characteristics evidently. Tests showed that, up to a fraction of fines, which is named as transition fines content (FCt), compression behavior of the mixtures is mainly controlled by the sand grains. When concentration of fines exceeds FCt, kaolinite controls the compression. It was found that FCt varies between 19% and 34% depending on the above mentioned factors. This range of fines content is also consistent with various values reported in literature regarding the strength alteration. Performed direct shear tests revealed that there is also a close relationship between transition fines content and shear strength, which is harmonic with the oedometer test results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Beneficial utilization of stabilized fly ash as a structural layer in pavement construction is a common practice in the United States. At the same time, application of untreated and unstabilized fly ash in such cases is relatively rare. One such application was demonstrated at an Industry Access Truck Route in the state of Illinois. Approximately 60,000 m3 of F-fly ash, compacted in place, was used to construct the subbase for the 7.3 m wide and 3.4 km long road. The entire road was built into three control sections, i.e., AC1, fly ash, and AC2. Control Section AC1 was 0.75 km long and was built on fine sand subgrade; the fly ash control section was 2.2 km long and was built on silty/clayey subgrade using fly ash as subbase; Control Section AC2 was 0.45 km long and was built on clayey subgrade. This paper presents the long-term postconstruction structural performance results of the fly ash control section, as compared to Control Sections AC1 and AC2. Falling weight deflectometer studies performed on the truck route have indicated all the sections of the truck route to be performing satisfactorily. The fly ash control section in particular has exhibited very good structural performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition was analyzed in two red soils experimentally contaminated with copper at different concentrations. The total amounts ofphospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) in both red soils were significantly correlated with soil microbial biomass C and N, which decreased consistently with increasing levels of copper. The relative quantities of the PLFAs 17:0 (10 Me), i16:0, il5:0 and 16:1 w5c, decreased with increasing heavy metal concentration, while those of cy 17:0, which is an indicator of gram-negative bacteria, increased. The Shannon index calculated from the PLFA data indicated that Cu addition in the red soils decreased the population diversity of soil microbial communities. Multivariate analysis of PLFA data demonstrated that high levels of Cu application had a significant impact on microbial community structure and there is a threshold metal concentration for PLFA composition. Comparatively higher toxic effect on microbial biomass and community structure were found in the red sandy soil than those in the red clayey soil. The differential effect of Cu addition on microbial communities in the two soils may be due to differences in soil texture and cation exchange capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the validity of the plasticity index (PI) as a criterion for estimating the liquefaction potential of clayey soils under cyclic loading. The results of undrained cyclic stress-controlled ring-shear tests on artificial mixtures of sand with different clays saturated with water indicated that an increase in PI decreased the soil potential to liquefy, and soil with PI>15 seemed to be nonliquefiable, a finding that is in agreement with the results of other researchers. However, in this study some deviations from this relation were found when a bentonite–sand mixture was treated with solutions of different ions, thus bringing into question the effectiveness of PI as a measure of the liquefaction potential of clayey soil having a certain pore water chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-dependent behavior of soils has been investigated extensively through one-dimensional and triaxial test conditions. Most of the observations in literature have focused on the determination of the time-dependent behavior of clayey soils, whereas the reported experimental studies of granular materials are few. This paper presents an up-to-date review of the various observed time- and rate-dependent phenomena that are known to exist for both clay and sand. The description is carried out separately for creep, stress relaxation, rate dependency, and structuration in laboratory experiments. All of the above-mentioned phenomena are present in both sand and clay. The time-dependent phenomena are more pronounced in clay than sand. However, sand exhibits relatively large deformations at high confining pressures because of grain crushing. Furthermore, the review revealed an essential characteristic situation for soils. That is whether the time-dependent behavior can be characterized as isotach or nonisotach. It seems that the isotach behavior is adequate for describing the time effects in clays in most situations. But for sand, the isotach description is inadequate. Further, the phenomenon of structuration plays a role in both clay and sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different classes of constitutive models have been developed to capture the time-dependent viscous phenomena (creep, stress relaxation, and rate effects) observed in soils. Models based on empirical, rheological, and general stress-strain-time concepts have been studied. The first part is a review of the empirical relations, which apply only to problems of specific boundary conditions and frequently involve natural time alone. The second part deals with different rheological models used for describing the viscous effects in the field of solid mechanics. The rheological models are typically developed for metals and steel but are, to some extent, used to characterize time effects in geomaterials. The third part is a review of constitutive laws that describe not only viscous effects but also the inviscid (rate-independent) behavior of soils, in principle, under any possible loading condition. Special attention is paid to elastoviscoplastic models that combine inviscid elastic and time-dependent plastic behavior. Various general elastoviscoplastic models can roughly be divided into two categories: Models based on the concept of overstress and models based on nonstationary flow surface theory. Although general in structure, both have shortcomings when used for modeling of soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns a study of the influence of fines on the resistance to liquefaction of a clayey sand. The study is carried out using a triaxial apparatus on a reconstituted sand-clay mixture containing a low fraction of clay. After a description of the soil used in this study, the paper presents results of undrained compression tests together with cyclic liquefaction tests performed on soil samples containing different fractions of clay. Experimental results show that the increase in the fines content up to 15% reduces the resistance to liquefaction of the sand-clay mixture. This result is due to the role of fines in reducing the dilatant tendency of the clayey sand used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punch-through failure of jack-up spudcan foundations occurs in active oil and gas drilling exploration regions, where relatively stiff soil overlies soft marine layer. Therefore, installation of spudcan foundations in such seabed formations threatens the stability of the jack-up rig. A site-specific assessment of the potential and severity of failure must be completed before the commencement of the installation. However, the accuracy of the prediction is limited by the validity of the design method currently in use. This paper presents advances in the prediction of punch-through failure of jack-up platforms in sand/stiff clay over soft clay soils. New analytical models for spudcan installation in double-layered soils are reviewed and compared to the existing methods in the ISO 19905-1 standard and SNAME standard. The capabilities and limitations of each method are summarised and recommendations are drawn for the theoretical predictions of spudcan punch-through in double-layered soils. • The methods in the guidelines are normally followed to perform the site-specific assessments of jack-up installations. • New methods in predicting of punch-through failure of jack-up platforms in sand/stiff clay over soft clay soils are presented. • The capabilities and limitations of each method are summarised and recommendations are drawn for their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]