Skip to main content
Log in

An experimental study of failure and softening in sand under three-dimensional stress condition

  • Published:
Granular Matter Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes an experimental study of failure and softening behaviour in dense Toyoura sand. A true triaxial apparatus equipped with three pairs of rigid loading platens is used to test sand sample under three-dimensional stress condition. The testing results demonstrate that the rigid boundary around the sand samples cannot prevent formation of shear localization. Shear localization are observed to emerge in the hardening or the softening regime in the loading depending on the magnitude of intermediate principal stress. Uniform deformation for the whole strain range is obtained only in triaxial compression tests. The peak stress state obtained from tests of sand samples of the same initial density can be described with good approximation by the Matsuoka–Nakai criterion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arthur, J.R.F., Dunstan, T., Al-Ani, Q.A.J.L., Assadi, A.: Plastic deformation and failure in granular media. Géotechnique 27(1), 53–74 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bishop, A.W., Green, G.E.: The influence of end restraint on the compression strength of a cohesionless soil. Géotechnique 15(3), 243–266 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chu, J., Lo, S.C.R., Lee, I.K.: Strain softening and shear band formation of sand in multi-axial testing. Géotechnique 46(1), 63–82 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Desrues, J., Chambon, R., Mokni, M., Mazerolle, F.: Void ratio evolution inside shear bands in triaxial sand specimens studied by computed tomography. Géotechnique 46(3), 529–546 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Finno, R.J., Harris, W.W., Mooney, M.A., Viggiani, G.: Strain localization and undrained steady state of sand. J. Geotech. Eng. ASCE 122(6), 462–473 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Huang, W., Sun, D.A., Sloan, S.: Analysis of failure mode and softening behaviour of sands in true triaxial tests. Int. J. Solids Struct. 44(5), 1423–1437 (2007)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Kolymbas, D., Wu, W.: Recent results of triaxial tests with granular materials. Powder Technol. 60, 99–119 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lade, P.V.: Assessment of test data for selection of 3-D failure criterion for sand. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech. 30, 307–333 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lade, P.V., Duncan, J.M.: Cubical triaxial tests on cohesionless soils. J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 99(10), 793–812 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lade, P.V., Wang, Q.: Effects of slenderness ratio on shear banding in true triaxial tests on sand. In: Proceedings of 8th International Symposium on Numerical Models in Geomechanics. NUMOG VIII, A.A. Balkema, pp. 149–154 (2002)

  11. Lam, W.K., Tatsuoka, F.: Triaxial compression and extension strength of sand affected by strength anisotropy and sample slenderness. Advanced Triaxial Testing of Soil and Rock, ASTM STP 977, Philadelphia, pp. 655–666 (1988)

  12. Matsuoka, H., Nakai, T.: Stress-deformation and strength characteristics of soil under three difference principal stresses. Proc. JSCE 232, 59–70 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Matsuoka, H., Koyama, H., Yamazaki, H.: A constitutive equation for sands and its application to analyses of rotational stress paths and liquefaction resistance. Soils Found. 25(1), 27–42 (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Matsuoka, H., Sun, D.A.: Extension of spatially mobilized plane (SMP) to frictional and cohesive materials and its application to cemented sands. Soils Found. 35(4), 63–72 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Matsuoka, H., Sun, D.A., Kogane, A., Fukuzawa, N., Ichihara, W.: Stress–strain behaviour of unsaturated soil in true triaxial tests. Can. Geotech. J. 39(3), 608–619 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Nakai, T., Matsuoka, H.: Shear behaviours of sand and clay under three-dimensional stress condition. Soils Found. 23(2), 26–42 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Peters, J.F., Lade, P.V., Bro, A.: Shear band formation in triaxial and plane strain tests. In Donaghe R.T. et al. (eds) Advanced Triaxial Testing of Soil and Rock, ASTM STP 977, Philadelphia (1988)

  18. Readers, D.W., Green, G.E.: Independent stress control and triaxial extension tests on sand. Geotechnique 26(4), 551–576 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Roscoe, K.H., Schofield, A.N., Wroth, C.P.: On yielding of soils. Géotechnique 8(1), 22–53 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Roscoe, K.H., Schofield, A.N., Thurairajah, A.: Yielding of clay in states wetter than critical. Géotechnique 13(3), 211–240 (1963)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Schofield, A., Wroth, P.: Critical State Soil Mechanics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Tatsuoka, F., Molenkamp, F., Torii, T., Hino, T.: Behaviour of lubricated layers of platens in element tests. Soils Found. 24(1), 113–128 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Vardoulakis, I.: Shear band inclination and shear modulus of sand in biaxial tests. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech. 4, 103–119 (1980)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Verdugo, R., Ishihara, K.: The steady state of sand soils. Soils Found. 36(2), 81–92 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Yamada, Y., Ishihara, K.: Anisotropic deformation characteristics of sand under three dimensional stress conditions. Soils Found. 19(2), 79–94 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Yamamuro, J.A., Lade, P.V.: Strain localization in extension tests on granular materials. J. Eng. Mech. ASCE 121(7), 828–836 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Wang, Q., Lade, P.V.: Shear banding in true triaxial tests and its effect on failure in sand. J. Eng. Mech. ASCE 127(8), 754–761 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to De’an Sun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sun, D., Huang, W. & Yao, Y. An experimental study of failure and softening in sand under three-dimensional stress condition. Granular Matter 10, 187–195 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-008-0083-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-008-0083-5

Keywords

Navigation