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A multiscale homogenization model for strength predictions of fully and partially frozen soils

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Abstract

Soil freezing is often used to provide temporary support of soft soils in geotechnical interventions. During the freezing process, the strength properties of the soil–water–ice mixture change from the original properties of the water-saturated soil to the properties of fully frozen soils. In the paper, a multiscale homogenization model for the upscaling of the macroscopic strength of freezing soil based upon information on three individual material phases—the solid particle phase (S), the crystal ice phase (C) and the liquid water phase (L)—is proposed. The homogenization procedure for the partially frozen soil–water–ice composite is based upon an extension of the linear comparison composite (LCC) method for a two-phase matrix–inclusion composite, using a two-step homogenization procedure. In each step, the LCC methodology is implemented by estimating the strength criterion of a two-phase nonlinear matrix–inclusion composite in terms of an optimally chosen linear elastic comparison composite with a similar underlying microstructure. The solid particle phase (S) and the crystal ice phase (C) are assumed to be characterized by two different Drucker–Prager strength criteria, and the liquid water phase (L) is assumed to have zero strength capacity under drained conditions. For the validation of the proposed upscaling strategy, the predicted strength properties for fully and partially frozen fine sands are compared with experimental results, focussing on the investigation of the influence of the porosity and the degree of ice saturation on the predicted failure envelope.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this work was provided by the German Science Foundation (DFG) in the framework of project ME 1848/5. This support is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Meng-Meng Zhou & Günther Meschke

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  1. Meng-Meng Zhou
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  2. Günther Meschke
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Correspondence to Günther Meschke.

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Zhou, MM., Meschke, G. A multiscale homogenization model for strength predictions of fully and partially frozen soils. Acta Geotech. 13, 175–193 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-017-0538-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-017-0538-0

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