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Changing grading of soil: effect on critical states

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Abstract

Examples of situations are presented where the grading of a soil changes during its lifetime either by crushing of particles leading to an increase of fine material or by slow transport of fine particles with seepage leading to a decrease of fine material. Such grading changes influence the basic constitutive properties of the soil, in particular properties such as critical states which are dependent on the available range of densities of packing. Discrete element modelling is used to show the dependence of critical state conditions on grading and the way in which the particle assembly seeks out new critical state conditions as the grading changes.

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Acknowledgments

The stimulus for embarking on this study came from BCHydro and the contribution of Steve Garner and Mike Jefferies is particularly acknowledged. These ideas were subsequently developed in the 20th Bjerrum Lecture [19], thanks to the invitation of the Norwegian Geotechnical Society. The support of the University of Bristol and Nagoya Institute of Technology has been invaluable for the performance of the work described here. Discussions with Adrian Russell and Mamoru Kikumoto have helped to focus the concepts being implemented in constitutive models.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Bristol, Queen’s Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK

    David Muir Wood

  2. Department of Civil Engineering and Management, Nagoya Institute of Technology, 16th Building, Room 232, Gokiso-cho Showa-ku, Nagoya City, 466-8555, Japan

    Kenichi Maeda

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  1. David Muir Wood
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  2. Kenichi Maeda
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Correspondence to David Muir Wood.

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Muir Wood, D., Maeda, K. Changing grading of soil: effect on critical states. Acta Geotech. 3, 3–14 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-007-0041-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-007-0041-0

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