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Mechanisms of compression in well-graded saprolitic soils

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Abstract

Soils originating from weathering processes present considerable heterogeneity in their composition, which can make it difficult to analyse their behaviour in a systematic way. For the granitic saprolites discussed in this paper, based on a trend between soil density and weathering degree, there appears to be two different domains of behaviour, a granular domain and a clay matrix one, according to the degree of weathering reached. Recognition of these domains can reduce the apparent scatter of data for the engineering behaviour of weathered soils. A number of one-dimensional compression tests are presented for saprolitic soils from Hong Kong having different weathering degrees. In addition, isotropic and one-dimensional compression tests from the literature on other saprolites from Hong Kong and around the world were reanalysed and used to identify possible trends in the mechanisms of compression for these two domains. From practical considerations, the trends considered were between compressibility and common engineering grading descriptors. An attempt was also made to provide the physical explanations behind the behaviour observed, and the particle breakage was investigated in detail, both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view. It was found that the values of relative breakage (Hardin in ASCE J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 111(10):1177–1192, 1985), for a same stress level, might be very similar for soils having different compressibility values and different initial gradings. When studying particle breakage in further detail, it can be observed that it is linked to the amount of large particles and their characteristics. The maximum particle size, rather than the amount of fines in a mixture, may be a better predictor for differences in compressibility and breakage.

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Abbreviations

AR:

Aspect ratio

B p :

Breakage potential

B r :

Relative breakage

B t :

Total breakage

C :

Convexity

C c :

Compression index

c u :

Coefficient of uniformity

D 0 :

Reference size, 1 mm

D 10, D 20, etc.:

Particle diameters at 10, 20 %, etc. of passing mass of soil

D 50(1), D 50(2):

Mean particle diameter for soil no. 1 and no. 2

D max :

Maximum grain size

H 0 :

Null hypothesis

I GS :

Grain size index (D 50/D 0)/c u

Ko:

Coefficient of earth pressure at rest

N 100 :

Value on the normal compression line at \( \sigma_{\text{v}}^{\prime } \) = 100 kPa

NCL:

Normal compression line

p :

The probability of observing an effect given that the null hypothesis is true

v :

Specific volume

v 0 :

Initial specific volume

α :

Significance level

δ :

Difference between the percentage retained at a given particle size before and after testing

Δ :

Difference between the cumulative percentage retained at a given particle size before and after testing

λ :

Gradient of the NCL or 1D-NCL

λ(1), λ(2):

λ for soil no. 1 and no. 2

\( \sigma_{\text{v}}^{\prime } \) :

Vertical stress in the oedometer test

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Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was partially supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, project no. CityU 112911 and partially by CityU 112813. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Dr. John Endicott from AECOM and Ir Ken Ho from GEO for kindly providing the samples tested. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to Prof. Charles Ng and Prof. Quentin Yue for permission to use their data and to Dr. Béatrice Baudet of the University of Hong Kong for the use of the Qicpic particle laser scanner.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40316, Bologna, Italy

    I. Rocchi

  2. Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China

    M. R. Coop

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  1. I. Rocchi
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Correspondence to I. Rocchi.

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I. Rocchi has formerly worked at City University of Hong Kong.

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Rocchi, I., Coop, M.R. Mechanisms of compression in well-graded saprolitic soils. Bull Eng Geol Environ 75, 1727–1739 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-015-0841-7

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