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Numerical modeling of creep degradation of natural soft clays under one-dimensional condition

  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Published:
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Aims and scope

Abstract

Creep degradation is a common phenomenon of natural soft clays. This paper focuses on developing a one-dimensional constitutive model considering the influence of bond degradation on the creep behavior for natural soft clays. First, conventional oedometer creep tests are studied and a creep based structure indicator ϖ denoting the difference between the creep coefficient of the reconstituted samples and that of intact samples is proposed. Then, the creep coefficient of intact clay is formulated by this indicator and the intrinsic creep coefficient corresponding to reconstituted clay. This formula is then incorporated into a one-dimensional creep model to describe the creep degradation behavior induced by bond degradation. The model parameters can be determined in a straightforward way from oedometer tests which leads to an easy application of the model for practice. Furthermore, coupled with the consolidation theory, the model is used to simulate oedometer tests at constant strain rate as well as long-term creep tests on sensitive Batiscan clay. The destructuration effects on the evolution of creep coefficient are analyzed. The comparisons between experimental and numerical results show that the proposed model can precisely describe the creep degradation behavior induced by destructuration of natural soft clay under one-dimensional loading.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics & Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou, 221008, China

    Qi-Yin Zhu

  2. Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, China, 200092

    Zhen-Yu Yin, Dong-Mei Zhang & Hong-Wei Huang

  3. Department of Geotechnical Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China, 200092

    Zhen-Yu Yin, Dong-Mei Zhang & Hong-Wei Huang

  4. Ecole Centrale de Nantes, GeM UMR CNRS 6183, LUNAM University, Nantes, France

    Zhen-Yu Yin

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  1. Qi-Yin Zhu
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  2. Zhen-Yu Yin
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  4. Hong-Wei Huang
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Correspondence to Zhen-Yu Yin.

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Zhu, QY., Yin, ZY., Zhang, DM. et al. Numerical modeling of creep degradation of natural soft clays under one-dimensional condition. KSCE J Civ Eng 21, 1668–1678 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-016-1026-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-016-1026-z

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