Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Shear strength and pore-water pressure characteristics of sandy soil mixed with plastic fine

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Recent earthquake case histories have revealed the liquefaction of mixtures of sand and fine particles during earthquakes. Different from earlier studies which placed an emphasis on characterisation of liquefaction in terms of the induced shear stress required to cause liquefaction, this study adopted a strain approach because excess pore-water pressure generation is controlled mainly by the level of induced shear strains. The current study includes the results of a set of laboratory tests carried out on sand specimens with the same relative densities and variation in the plastic fines (kaolinite or bentonite) contents ranging from 0 to either 30 % and consolidated at mean confining pressure of 100, 200 and 300 kPa using static triaxial test apparatus, in order to study the influence of fine content and other parameters on the undrained shear strength and liquefaction potential of clayey sand specimens; also, pore-water pressures in the specimens are discussed. Results of tests show that the peak strength decreases as the fines (kaolinite or bentonite) content increases up to a threshold content of fines (FCth) after which, increases in plastic fine content lead to improve the peak shear strength of specimens, and also the ultimate steady-state strength has been improved due to the increased in plastic fines content. Also, pore pressure build-up in clayey sands is generally slower than that observed in pure sand.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alarcon-Guzman A, Leonards GA, Chameau JL (1988) Undrained monotonic and cyclic strength of sands. J Geotech Engrg 114(10):1089–1109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amini F, Qi GZ (2000) Liquefaction testing of stratified silty sands. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng Div 126(3):208–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ASTM D 4767-92 (2002) Standard test method for consolidated undrained triaxial compression test for cohesive soils. Annual Book of ASTM Standards. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 22–25

  • Bayat E, Bayat E (2012) Effect of grading characteristics on the undrained shear strength of sand: review with new evidences. Arab J Geosci. doi:10.1007/s12517-012-0670-y

  • Belkhatir M, Arab A, Missoum H, Schanz T (2010) Influence of inter-granular void ratio on monotonic and cyclic undrained shear response of sandy soils. CR Mecanique 338(5):290–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benahmed N, Canou J, Dupla JC (2004) Structure initiale et propriétés de liquéfaction statique d’un sable. CR Mecanique 332:887–894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouferra R, Shahrour I (2004) Influence of fines on the resistance to liquefaction of a clayey sand. Ground Improvement 8(1):1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canou J (1989) Contribution l’étude et à l’évaluation des propriétés de liquéfaction d’un sable. Thèse de Doctorat de l’Ecole Nationale Des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris

  • Della N, Arab A, Belkhatir M, Missoum (2009) Identification of the behaviour of the Chlef sand to static liquefaction. CR Mecanique 337:282–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El Hosri MS, Biarez J, HicherPY (1984) Liquefaction characteristics of silty clay. In: Proceedings of the eighth world conference on earthquake engineering, vol. 3. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs. pp. 277–284.

  • El Mohtar, CS (2008) Pore fluid engineering: an autoadaptive design for liquefaction mitigation. Ph.D. thesis, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

  • Erten D, Maher MH (1995) Cyclic undrained behaviour of silty sand. Soil Dynam Earthquake Eng 14:115–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finn WL, Ledbetter RH, Wu G (1994) Liquefaction on silty soils: design and analysis. In: Ground failures under seismic condition. Geotechnical Special Publication, vol. 44. ASCE, New York. pp. 51–76

  • Frost JD, Park JY (2003) A critical assessment of the moist-tamping technique. Geotech Test J 26(1):57–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Georginnou VN, Burland JB, Hight DW (1990) The undrained behaviour of clayey sands in triaxial compression and extension. Geotechnique 40(3):431–449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghahremani M, Ghalandarzadeh A (2006) Effect of plastic fines on cyclic resistance of sands. Soil and Rock Behavior and Modeling (GSP 150), Shanghai, China. pp. 406–412.

  • Ghahremani M, Ghalandarzadeh A, Moradi M (2006) Effect of plastic fines on the undrained behavior of sands. Soil and Rock Behavior and Modeling (GSP 150), Shanghai, China. pp. 48–54.

  • Gratchev IB, Sassa K, Osipov VI, Fukuoka H, Wang G (2007) Undrained cyclic behavior of bentonite–sand mixtures. Geotech Geol Eng 25:349–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hazirbaba K (2005) Pore pressure generation characteristics of sands and silty sands: a strain approach. Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Ishihara K (1993) Liquefaction and flow failure during earthquakes. Geotechnique 43(3):351–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishihara K, Tatsuoka F, Yasua S (1975) Undrained deformation and liquefaction of sand under cyclic stresses. Soils and Foundations 15(1):29–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishihara K, Troncosco J, Kawase Y, Takahashi Y (1980) Cyclic strength characteristics of tailing materials. Soils and Foundations 23(8):11–26

    Google Scholar 

  • JGS 0523 (2000) Method for consolidated-undrained triaxial compression test on soils with pore water pressure measurements. Standards of Japanese Geotechnical Society for Laboratory Shear Tests (English Version). The Japanese Geotechnical Society. pp. 54–61.

  • Kenny TC (1977) Residual strengths of mineral mixtures. In: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Tokyo, 1. pp. 155–160

  • Koester JP (1994) Influence of fines type and content on cyclic strength. In: Ground failures under seismic conditions. Geotechnical Special Publication, vol. 44. ASCE, New York. pp. 17–33

  • Law KT, Ling YH (1992) Liquefaction of granular soils with non-cohesive and cohesive fines. In: Proceedings of the 10th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Rotterdam. pp. 1491–1496

  • Lade PV, Yamamuro JA (1997) Effects of non-plastic fines on static liquefaction of sands. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 34:918–928

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lade PV, Duncan JM (1973) Cubical triaxial tests on cohesionless soil. J Soil Mech Found Div 99:793–812

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK (1993) Fundamental of soil behaviour, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York, p 437

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulilis JP, Seed HB, Chan CK, Mitchell JK, Arulanadan K (1977) Effects of sample preparation on sand liquefaction. J Geotech Eng Div 103:91–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Naeini SA (2001) The Influence of silt presence and sample preparation on liquefaction potential of silty sands. Ph.D. dissertation, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

  • Naeini SA, Baziar MH (2004) Effect of fines content on steady-state strength of mixed and layered samples of a sand. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering 24:181–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seed RB, Cetin KO, Moss RES, Kammerer AM, Wu J, Pestana JM, Riemer MF, Sanico RB, Bray JD, Kayen RE, Faris A (2003) Recent advances in soil liquefaction engineering: a unified and consistent framework. Keynote address. In: 26th Annual Geotechnical Spring Seminar, Los Angeles Section of the Geo Institute, American Society of Civil Engineering, H.M.S. Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, 30 April 2003

  • Shen CK,Vrymoed JL, Uyeno CK (1977) The effects of fines on liquefaction of sands. In: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Tokyo, 2. pp. 381–385

  • Thevanayagam S, Ravishankar K, Mohan S (1997) Effects of fines on monotonic undrained shear strength of sandy soils. Geotech Test J 20(1):394–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Thevanayagam S (1998) Effect of fines and confining stress on undrained shear strength of silty sands. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng Div 124(6):479–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tianqiang G, Prakash S (1999) Liquefaction of silts and silt–clay mixtures. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng Div 125(8):706–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Troncoso JH, Verdugo R (1985) Silt content and dynamic behaviour of tailing sands. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, San Francisco. pp. 1311–1314.

  • Vaid YP, Sivathayalan S, Stedman D (1999) Influence of specimen reconstituting method on the undrained response of sand. Geotech Test J 22(3):187–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaid VP (1994) Liquefaction of silty soils. In: Ground failures under seismic condition. Geotechnical Special Publication, vol. 44. ASCE, New York. pp. 1–16

  • Wood FM, Yamamuro JA, Lade PV (2008) Effect of depositional method on the undrained response of silty sand. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 45(11):1525–1537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamuro JA, Lade PV (1998) Steady-state concepts and static liquefaction of silty sands. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng Div 124(9):868–877

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamuro JA, Wood FM (2004) Effect of depositional method on the undrained behaviour and microstructure of sand with silt. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering 24:751–760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamuro JA, Wood FM, Lade PV (2008) Effect of depositional method on the microstructure of silty sand. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 45(11):1538–1555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshimine M, Ishihara K (1998) Flow potential of sand during liquefaction. Soils and Foundations 38(3):189–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zlatovic S, Ishihara K (1997) Normalised behaviour of very loose non-plastic soils: effects of fabric. Soils and Foundations 37(4):47–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zlatovic S, Ishihara K (1995) On the influence of non-plastic fines on residual strength. In: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, Tokyo. pp. 14–16

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Young Researchers Club, Khomein Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khomein, Iran

    M. Bayat & E. Bayat

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

    H. Aminpour

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Azad University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

    A. Salarpour

Authors
  1. M. Bayat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Bayat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Aminpour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Salarpour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Bayat.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bayat, M., Bayat, E., Aminpour, H. et al. Shear strength and pore-water pressure characteristics of sandy soil mixed with plastic fine. Arab J Geosci 7, 1049–1057 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0753-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0753-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation