Viscoplastic deformations of coarse-rubbly soils subject to cyclic effects

Conclusions

• 1. Under a cyclic loading, the strength of coarse-rubbly soils (over the entire investigated range of variation in the static stressed state and stress amplitudes) remains virtually constant as compared with a static loading.

• 2. Additional soil compaction, which depends on the level of the static stressed state, the amplitude of the event, and the soil density, and also additional development of plastic shear strains take place under deviator cyclic loading.

• 3. Stabilization of volume and shear strains in the sublimiting state under cyclic effects occurs over a prolonged period as computed for thousands of load cycles; the major portion of the deformation, however, is accumulated during the first several tens of cycles.

• 4. The failure of a saturated coarse-rubbly soil under cyclic loading occurs in conformity with Terzaghi's effective-stress principle.