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Static liquefaction of sandy soil: An experimental investigation into the effects of saturation and initial state

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Abstract

The effects of initial state of the samples and the saturation evaluated in terms of Skempton’s pore pressure B on the behavior of Chlef sand are studied in this article. For this purpose, the results of two series of drained and undrained monotonic triaxial compression tests on medium dense sand are presented. In the first test series, the influence of the specimen’s fabric and confining pressure has been studied. The tests were conducted at initial confining pressure of 50, 100, and 200 kPa. The specimens were prepared by two depositional methods that include dry funnel pluviation and wet deposition. All the samples were subjected to a monotonic loading after a consolidation phase. The results of the tests demonstrate that initial confining pressure and the specimen’s fabric have detectable effects on the behavior of the sand. In the second series of tests, the saturation influence on the resistance to the sand liquefaction has been realized on samples at an effective stress of 100 kPa for Skempton’s pore pressure coefficient varying between 13 and 90%. It was found that the increase in Skempton’s pore pressure coefficient B reduces the soil dilatancy and amplifies the phase of contractancy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Material Sciences and Environment, Civil Engineering Department, University of Chlef, Sendjas Street, P.O. Box 151, Chlef, 02000, Algeria

    Noureddine Della, Ahmed Arab & Mostefa Belkhatir

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  1. Noureddine Della
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  2. Ahmed Arab
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  3. Mostefa Belkhatir
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Correspondence to Noureddine Della.

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Della, N., Arab, A. & Belkhatir, M. Static liquefaction of sandy soil: An experimental investigation into the effects of saturation and initial state. Acta Mech 218, 175–186 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-010-0410-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-010-0410-x

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