Abstract
Loess is mostly distributed in an unsaturated state in nature, and the complexity of the engineering properties of unsaturated soil is mainly due to the existence of matric suction. Therefore, matric suction must be considered in investigating the mechanical properties of unsaturated loess. However, soils are most often subjected to three principal stresses with different magnitudes in practical engineering. For the sake of examining and discussing the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated natural loess under a complex stress path, a suction-controlled true triaxial apparatus with a rigid-flexible boundary is used to test unsaturated natural loess under a complicated stress path. Four trials of isotropic consolidation tests are conducted on natural loess under suction-controlled conditions via the true triaxial apparatus. The consolidation yield characteristics of the natural loess under different matric suctions are investigated. Forty-eight trials of consolidated drained true triaxial tests under suction-controlled conditions are conducted on unsaturated natural loess to examine and discuss the influence of the matric suction and intermediate principal stress parameter (b-value). The consolidated drained trials are performed under a constant net mean stress and a constant matric suction with different intermediate principal stress parameters (b-values). Stress-strain curves and failure envelopes of the natural loess are also presented. The results indicate that the stress-strain-strength response of unsaturated natural loess depends on the matric suction and intermediate principal stress parameter under true triaxial conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen CL, Zhang DF, Dong YZ, Chen H, Yu DB, Xue JX (2014) Suction and mechanical behaviours of unsaturated intact loess from constant water content triaxial tests. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 36(7):1195–1202, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11779/CJGE201407002 (in Chinese)
Choi C, Arduino P, Harney MD (2008) Development of a true triaxial apparatus for sands and gravels. Geotechnical Testing Journal 31(1):32–44, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ100217
Derbyshire E (2001) Geological hazards in loess terrain, with particular reference to the loess areas of China. Earth-Science Reviews 54(1–3):231–260, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-8252(01)00050-2
Fan XM, Xu Q, Scaringi G, Li S, Peng DL (2017) A chemo-mechanical insight into the failure mechanism of frequently occurred landslides in the Loess Plateau, Gansu Province, China. Engineering Geology 228(13):337–345, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.09.003
Fredlund DG, Morgenstern NR (1977) Stress state variables for unsaturated soils. Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division 103(5):447–466
Fredlund DG, Morgenstern NR, Widger RA (1978) The shear strength of unsaturated soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 15(3):313–321, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/t78-029
Fredlund DG, Rahardjo H (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA
Gao DH, Chen ZH, Guo N, Zhu YP, Hu SX, Yao ZH (2017) The influence of dry density and matric suction on the deformation and the strength characteristics of the remolded loess soils. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering 36(3):736–744, DOI: https://doi.org/10.13722/j.cnki.jrme.2015.1761 (in Chinese)
Gibbs HJ, Holland WY (1960) Petrographic and engineering properties of loess. Technical Information Branch, Denver, CO, USA, 1–37
Hambly EC (1969) A new true triaxial apparatus. Geotechnique 19(2):307–309, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1969.19.2.307
Hoyos LR, Macari EJ (2001) Development of a stress/suction-controlled true triaxial testing device for unsaturated soils. Geotechnical Testing Journal 24(1):5–13, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11277J
Hoyos LR, Perez-Ruiz DD, Puppala AJ (2012) Refined true triaxial apparatus for testing unsaturated soils under suction-controlled stress paths. International Journal of Geomechanics 12(3):281–291, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000138
Ibsen LB, Praastrup U (2002) The danish rigid boundary true triaxial apparatus for soil testing. Geotechnical Testing Journal 25(3):254–265, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11096J
Jiang MJ, Shen ZJ (1998) Preparation of artificial structured collapsible loess and its behavior in oedometer test. Proceedings of 2nd international conference on unsaturated soils, August 27–30, Beijing, China
Jiang MJ, Zhang FG, Hu HJ, Cui YJ, Peng JB (2014) Structural characterization of natural loess and remolded loess under triaxial tests. Engineering Geology 181(1):249–260, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.07.021
Jose BT, Sridharan A, Abraham BM (1989) Log-log method for determination of preconsolidation pressure. Geotechnical Testing Journal 12(3):230–237, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10974J
Junior MSD, Pierce FJ (1995) A simple procedure for estimating preconsolidation pressure from soil compression curves. Soil Technology 8(2):139–151, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0933-3630(95)00015-8
Kim D, Kang SS (2013) Engineering properties of compacted loesses as construction materials. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 17(2): 335–341, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-013-0872-1
Kirkgard MM, Lade PV (1993) Anisotropic three-dimensional behavior of a normally consolidated clay. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 30(5):848–858, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/t93-075
Ko HY, Scott RF (1967) A new soil testing apparatus. Geotechnique 17(1):40–57, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1967.17.1.40
Li P, Vanapalli S, Li TL (2016) Review of collapse triggering mechanism of collapsible soils due to wetting. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering 8(2):256–274, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.12.002
Liu Z, Liu FY, Ma FL, Wang M, Bai XH, Zheng YL, Yin H, Zhang GP (2015) Collapsibility, composition, and microstructure of a loess in China. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 53(4):673–686, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2015-0285
Luo H, Wu FQ, Chang JY, Xu JB (2018) Microstructural constraints on geotechnical properties of Malan loess: A case study from Zhaojiaan landslide in Shaanxi province, China. Engineering Geology 236(26):60–69, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.11.002
Macari EJ, Hoyos LR (2001) Mechanical behavior of an unsaturated soil under multi-axial stress states. Geotechnical Testing Journal 24(1):14–22, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11278J
Macari EJ, Hoyos LR, Arduino P (2003) Constitutive modeling of unsaturated soil behavior under axisymmetric stress states using a stress/suction-controlled cubical test cell. International Journal of Plasticity 19(10):1481–1515, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-6419(02)00018-9
Matalucci RV, Abdel-Hady M, Shelton JW (1970) Influence of grain orientation on direct shear strength of a loessial soil. Engineering Geology 4(2):121–132, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(70)90008-6
Matsuoka H, Sun D, Kogane A, Fukuzawa N, Ichihara W (2002) Stress-strain behaviour of unsaturated soil in true triaxial tests. Geotechnical Testing Journal 39(3):608–619, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/T02-031
Ng CWW, Sadeghi H, Jafarzadeh F (2017) Compression and shear strength characteristics of compacted loess at high suctions. Geotechnical Testing Journal 54(5):690–699, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-0347
Patil UD, Puppala AJ, Hoyos LR, Perdarla A (2017) Modeling critical-state shear strength behavior of compacted silty sand via suction-controlled triaxial testing. Engineering Geology 231(14):21–33, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.10.011
Phien-Wej N, Pientong T, Balasubramaniam AS (1992) Collapse and strength characteristics of loess in Thailand. Engineering Geology 32(1–2):59–72, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(92)90018-T
Porter SC (2013) Loess records ∣ China. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science 595–605, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53643-3.00157-6
Reddy KR, Saxena SK, Budiman JS (1992) Development of a triaxial testing apparatus. Geotechnical Testing Journal 15(2):89–105, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10231J
Rogers CDF, Dijkstra TA, Smalley IJ (1994) Hydroconsolidation and subsidence of loess: Studies from China, Russia, North America and Europe. Engineering Geology 37(2):83–113, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(94)90045-0
Rousseau DD, Derbyshire E, Antoine P, Hatté C (2007) Loess records ∣ Europe. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science 1440–1456, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-44-452747-8/00162-9
Ryashchenko TG, Akulova VV, Erbaeva MA (2008) Loessial soils of Priangaria, Transbaikalia, Mongolia, and Northwestern China. Quaternary International 179(1):90–95, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2007.06.035
Shao SJ, Wang Q, Luo AZ, Shao S (2017) True triaxial apparatus with rigid-flexible-flexible boundary and remolded loess testing. Journal of Testing and Evaluation 45(3):808–817, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/JTE20150177
Sheng CN, Fang XW, Chen ZH (2010) The unsaturated direct shear tests of Q2 loess. Chinese Journal of Underground Space and Engineering 6(4):724–728, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-0836.2010.04.012 (in Chinese)
Sun JM (2002) Provenance of loess material and formation of loess deposits on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 203(3–4):845–859, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(02)00921-4
Tan TK (1988) Fundamental properties of loess from northwestern China. Engineering Geology 25(2–4):103–122, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(88)90022-1
Van Genuchten MT (1980) A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 44(5):892–898, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400050002x
Xing XL, Li TL, Fu YK (2016) Determination of the related strength parameters of unsaturated loess with conventional triaxial test. Environmental Earth Sciences 75:82, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4797-5
Xing YC, Gao DH, Jin SL, Zhang AJ, Guo MX (2019) Study on mechanical behaviors of unsaturated loess in terms of moistening level. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 23(3):1055–1063, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-019-0848-x
Yin JH, Cheng CM, Kumruzzaman M, Zhou WH (2010) New mixed boundary, true triaxial loading device for testing three-dimensional stress-strain-strength behavior of geomaterials. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 47(1):1–15, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/T09-075
Zárate MA (2013) Loess records ∣ South America. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science 629–641, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53643-3.00160-6
Zhang Y, Hu ZQ, Chen H, Xue T (2018) Experimental investigation of the behavior of collapsible loess treated with the acid-addition presoaking method. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 22(11):4373–4384, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-017-0170-4
Acknowledgements
This research was accomplished under the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11572245 and 41272320). This support is gratefully acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zheng, F., Shao, S., Wang, J. et al. Experimental Study on the Mechanical Behaviour of Natural Loess Based on Suction-Controlled True Triaxial Tests. KSCE J Civ Eng 24, 2304–2321 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-020-1386-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-020-1386-2