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Effect of moisture content on the time-dependent mechanical characteristics of loess

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Abstract

It is of great significance to study the time-dependent mechanical properties of loess, as they are closely related to loess landslides. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of moisture content on the time-dependent deformation, strength and failure behaviors of undisturbed loess specimens from Nangou in Yan'an city, Shanxi Province, China, via triaxial shearing tests and multi-loading triaxial creep tests. The tests revealed different failure modes and the corresponding strain–time loess responses, which depend on the long-term static load and moisture content. The higher the moisture content is, the more obvious the time dependence of loess and the longer the time to reach the stable stage. This effect is closely related to the weakening effect of water on interparticle cementation and friction between soil particles in loess. Compared with instantaneous shear, long-term shear induced by water weakens the strength of loess, mainly because the particles in soil can be fully adjusted over time. The microscopic shear process of loess is essentially a process of change in microstructure with water exposure, loading and time, but the shear processes of loess in different shear modes are different (i.e., long-term shear and instantaneous shear). This study provides a theoretical basis for engineering construction and geological disaster prevention in loess areas.

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Funding

This research was supported by the Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41790441), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42007257, 41907235).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Lijie Chen, Jianbing Peng, Fei Xie, Yanqiu Leng & Penghui Ma

  2. Key Laboratory of Western China Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Jianbing Peng, Yanqiu Leng & Penghui Ma

  3. Xijing University, Xi’an, 710123, China

    Jingjing Nan

  4. School of Civil and Architecture Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an, 710021, China

    Ruixin Yan

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  1. Lijie Chen
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Correspondence to Jianbing Peng.

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Chen, L., Peng, J., Xie, F. et al. Effect of moisture content on the time-dependent mechanical characteristics of loess. Environ Earth Sci 81, 217 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10326-8

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