Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Strain softening characteristics and stress–strain relationship of Guiyang carbonate laterite

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The strain softening characteristics of carbonate red clay materials will have a significant impact on the safety and economy of engineering construction. To study such stress‒strain characteristics and influencing factors, this paper takes the native carbonate red clay in Guiyang as the research object and conducts triaxial consolidated undrained tests and scanning electron microscopy under different moisture content and confining pressure conditions. The test results show that the stress‒strain curve of the native red clay in Guiyang exhibits a peak-shaped variation and that the strain softening characteristics are jointly influenced by moisture content and confining pressure. With increasing confining pressure, the consolidation time of the specimen becomes longer, and the drainage volume increases. The volume change of the specimen during shearing follows the pattern of shearing contraction and then shearing expansion. After the shear test, the pore diameter of the specimen decreases, and numerous crack-like pores appear. A double-logarithmic strain softening model is established based on the characteristic stress‒strain curves (DL model). This model includes three parameters that can be determined based on the test curve. And it is used to simulate the stress‒strain curve of the native red clay in Guiyang; the results show that the DL is a new nonlinear model that can be applied to strain-softening soils.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

References

  • Bažant ZP (1976) Instability, ductility, and size effect in strain-softening concrete[J]. J Eng Mech Div 102(2):331–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen XX, He P, Qin Z, Gong YP, Li JY (2019) Statistical damage model of altered granite under dry-wet cycles[J]. Symmetry 11(1):41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu J, Wanatowski D (2009) Effect of loading mode on strain softening and instability behavior of sand in plane-strain tests[J]. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 135(1):108–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desai CS (1971) (1971) Nonlinear analyses using spline functions[J]. J Soil Mech Found Div 97(10):1461–1480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du YJ, Wei ML, Fei J, Zhi BL (2013) Stress–strain relation and strength characteristics of cement treated zinc-contaminated clay[J]. Eng Geol 167(17):20–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan JM, Chang CY (1970) Nonlinear analysis of stress and strain in soils. J Soil Mech Found Div 96(5):1629–1653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esrig MI (1969) Some temperature effects on soil compressibility and pore water pressure[J]. Spec Rep 231:103–022

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham MJ (2010) Pore fluid chemistry, stress–strain behavior, and yielding in reconstituted highly plastic clay [J]. Eng Geol 116(3-4):296–310

  • Hu TF, Liu JK, Wang QZ, Fang JH (2018) Experimental study on the undrained shear properties of powdered clay under freeze-thaw cycles[J]. J Central South Univ (Natural Science Edition) 49(06):1481–1490

    Google Scholar 

  • Ji YX, Zuo SY, Zhang YZ, Zhang J (2019) Modified Duncan-Chang model and mechanics parameter determination based on triaxial consolidated drained tests of Guiyang Red Clay in China[C]//new solutions for challenges in applications of new materials and geotechnical issues: Proceedings of the 5th geochina international conference 2018–civil infrastructures confronting severe weathers and climate changes: from failure to sustainability, held on July 23 to 25, 2018 in HangZhou, China. Springer International Publishing, 2019:1–17

  • Jia MC, Luo WS, Zhou YH, Zhang Z, Zhao S (2021) A model of undrained stress–strain curves considering stress path and strain softening[J]. Intl J Geomech 21(11):04021213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabwe E, Karakus M, Chanda EK (2020) Creep constitutive model considering the overstress theory with an associative viscoplastic flow rule[J]. Comput Geotech 124:103629

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim D, Kim JR (2007) Resilient behavior of compacted subgrade soils under the repeated triaxial test[J]. Const Build Mater 21(7):1470–1479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee KL, Focht JR (1976) Strength of clay subjected to cyclic loading[J]. Marine Georesour Geotech 1(3):165–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liao YL, Zhu LJ (2004) Carbonate laterites of Guizhou[M]. Guizhou People’s Publishing House, Guizhou

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu ZD, Lu SQ, Yang TL, Li BQ (1982) Influence of stress path on the stress-strain relationship of fill and its application[J]. Chinese J Geotech Eng 04:45–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu QS, Liu DF, Tian YC, Liu XY (2017) Numerical simulation of stress-strain behavior of cemented paste backfill in triaxial compression[J]. Eng Geol 231:165–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munoz H, Taheri A (2019) Postpeak deformability parameters of localized and nonlocalized damage zones of rocks under cyclic loading[J]. Geotech Testing J 42(6):1663–1684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oaths TJ, Boulanger RW (2023) Effect of Viscoplasticity on localization in saturated clays and plastic silts[J]. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 149(4):04023016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng MW, Zuo SY, Yang GS, Zhang Q (2022) Experimental study on characteristics of Guiyang red clay under cyclic loading and unloading[J]. J Eng Geol 30(5):1466–1476. https://doi.org/10.13544/i.cnki.jeg.2022-0461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian JH, Yin ZZ (1996) Geotechnical principles and calculations[M]. China Water&Power Press, Beijing, pp 259–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen ZJ (1993) Nonlinear damage mechanics model for structural clay[J]. Hydro-Sci Eng 1993(3):247–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Taheri A, Zhang YB, Munoz H (2020) Performance of rock crack stress thresholds determination criteria and investigating strength and confining pressure effects[J]. Const Build Mater 243:118263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang B, Liu T, Zhou BH, Liu TL (2022) Duncan-Chang E-υ model considering the thixotropy of clay in the Zhanjiang Formation[J]. Sustainability 14(19):12258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang LQ, Li K, Wang Z (2022) Liu L (2022) Description and prediction of the stress-strain curve of loess[J]. Eng Geol 308:106827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu ZP, Xu J, Li YF, Wang SH (2022) Disturbed state concept–based model for the uniaxial strain-softening behavior of fiber-reinforced soil[J]. Intl J Geomech 22(7):04022092

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie HP, Ju Y, Dong YL (1997) A discussion of the “modulus of elasticity method” in the definition of classical damage[J]. Mech Eng 02:2–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan MQ, Yan RT, Yu HH (2021) Strain-softening characteristics of hydrate-bearing sediments and modified Duncan-Chang Model[J]. Adv Mater Sci Eng 2021:1–15

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang GS, Zuo SY, Wu DY, Huang YT, Zhang YB, Peng MW (2021a) Experimental study on the mechanical behavior and mesoscopic damage of Guiyang red clay during triaxial loading[J]. Arab J Geosci 14:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang GS, Zuo SY, Mo YC, Zhang YB, Li JH (2021b) NMR technology based study on pore evolution pattern of Guiyang red clay shear whole process[J]. J Eng Geol 29(5):1320–330

  • Yao YP (2015) Study on UH model series[J]. Chinese J Geotech Eng 37(02):193–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao YP, Liu L, Wang L, Luo T (2015) Creep settlement calculation method for high fill foundations[J]. Rock and Soil Mech 36(S1):154–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao YP, Liu L, Luo T, Tian Y, Zhang JM (2019) Unified hardening (UH) model for clays and sands[J]. Comput Geotech 110:326–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin DS, Wu H, Cheng C, Chen YQ (2011) Chen Fractional order constitutive model of geomaterials under the condition of triaxial test[C]. Intl Des Eng Techn Conf Comput Inform Eng Conf 54808:257–265

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YZ, Zuo SY, Rita YML, Mo YC, Yang GS, Zhang M (2020) Experimental study on the mechanical properties of Guiyang red clay considering the meso micro damage mechanism and stress path[J]. Sci Rep 10(1):17449

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JJ, Yao BC, Ao YH, Chuang S, Jin CZ (2021) Analysis and numerical calculation of a coupled creep and strain-softening model for soft rock tunnels[J]. Plos one 16(8):e0256243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang BL, Chen KS, Hu X, Zhang K (2022a) A variable-order dynamic constitutive model for clay based on the fractional calculus[J]. Appl Sci 12(13):6416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang QM, Pei LH, Gui Y, Yang XY (2022b) Study on modified Duncan-Zhang model applied to strong structural clay[J]. Hydro-Sci Eng 192(02):117–125

  • Zhao R, Zuo SY, Sun ZQ (2018) Research of the stress-strain softening model and parameters of red clay in Guiyang[J]. Chinese J Undergr Space Eng 14(05):1258–1265

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.42002280), the Science and Technology Foundation Project of Guizhou Province (ZK [2022]018), the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province ([2020]1Z052). They are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Qing Zhang, Shuangying Zuo & Daoyong Wu

  2. College of Resources and Environment Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Shuangying Zuo, Daoyong Wu & Xiao Yuan

Authors
  1. Qing Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shuangying Zuo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daoyong Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xiao Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuangying Zuo.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, Q., Zuo, S., Wu, D. et al. Strain softening characteristics and stress–strain relationship of Guiyang carbonate laterite. Bull Eng Geol Environ 83, 121 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03615-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03615-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation