• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.237-244
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• 2020

To achieve a wide suction range, the low suction was imposed on compacted silt specimens by the axis translation technique and the high suction was imposed by the vapor equilibrium technique with saturated salt solutions. Firstly, the results of soil water retention tests on compacted silt show that the soil water retention curves in terms of gravimetric water content versus suction relation are independent of the dry density or void ratio in a high suction range. Therefore, triaxial tests on compacted silt with constant water content at high suctions can be considered as that with constant suction. Secondly, the results of triaxial shear tests on unsaturated compacted silt with the initial void ratio of about 0.75 show a strain-hardening behavior with a slightly shear contraction and then strain-softening behavior with an obviously dilation. As the imposed suction increases, the shear strength increases up to a peak value and then decreases when the suction is beyond a special value corresponding to the peak shear strength. The residual strength increases to fair value and those at high suctions are almost independent of imposed suctions. In addition, the contribution of suction to the strength of compacted silt would not diminish even in a high suction range.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2015

This paper presents a series of conventional undrained triaxial compression tests conducted to determine the effect of both tire crumbs and cement addition on Narli sand specimens. The tire crumb contents and cement contents were 3%, 7%, 15%; and 1%, 3%, 5% by dry weight of the sand specimens respectively. Specimens were prepared at about 35% relative density, cured during overnight (about 17 hours) for artificially bonding under a 100 kPa effective stress (confining pressure of 500 kPa with a back pressure of 400 kPa), and then sheared. Deviatoric stress-axial strain, pore water pressure-axial strain behavior, and Young's modulus of the specimens at various mixture ratios of tire crumb/cement/sand were measured. Test results indicated that the addition of tire crumb to sand decreases Young's modulus, deviatoric stress and brittleness, and increase pore water pressure generation. The addition of cement to sand with tire crumbs increases deviatoric stress, Young's modulus, and changes its ductile behavior to a more brittle one. The results suggest that specimen formation in the way used here could reduce the tire disposal problem in not only economically, and environmentally, but also more effectively beneficial way for some geotechnical applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.1224-1227
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• 2006

It has been recognized unsaturated soil behaviour playing an important role in geomechanics. Up to now, only a few experimental data are available for the technical difficulties related to both volume changes and suction measurements. In this study, the volume changes of unsaturated compacted silty soil were monitored with proximeter (i.e. non-contactable transducer) during various triaxial compression tests, which gave a realistic estimation in the volume changes of unsaturated soil sample. The measurement of volume changes were performed with 0.5% of the maximum error under the axial strain ratio of less than 10%. The experimental results have revealed that the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soil can be significantly affected by the matric suction. During the shearing processes, the level of maximum deviator stress under the initial suction pressure of 50kPa was higher than that under the initial suction pressure of 10kPa. On the other hand, the volume changes became smaller under the increase in the initial suction pressure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.301-311
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• 2020

In this study, shear strength behavior of fine-grained soils was investigated under unsaturated conditions. The samples in the unsaturated state were subjected to a net normal stress (σ-u_a) of 40 kPa and different matric suctions (u_a-u_w) of 50, 100 and 150 kPa. The matric suction values applied in the triaxial tests were selected according to the bubbling pressures determined from the SWC curves. The study was carried out on prepared re-constituted cylindrical samples by uniaxial consolidation of soil slurries. First, consolidated drained (CD) triaxial compression tests were performed on the saturated samples and the cohesion and angle of internal friction were determined. After that, drained triaxial compression tests under matric suctions were performed on the unsaturated samples. In order to obtain unsaturated test results, cohesion and internal friction angle values of saturated samples were used. The nonlinear surface representing the shear strength surface was approximated consisting of two planes (double planar surface). The reason for the nonlinear behavior of some soils is that the amount of sand content contained in it is relatively high and the bubbling pressure/permanent water content value is relatively low.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.83-92
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• 1993

A series of drained triaxial tests on sand was performed using the cubical triaxial appaiatus, in which three principal stress could be loaded independently. The test results indicated that the intermediate principal stress influenced on both stress strain behavior and strength of sand. The axial strain at failure decreased and volumetric strain increased with an increase of the intermediate stress under constant minor principal stress. The internal friction angle of sand increased in general with increase of the deviator stress ratio b(=(G.:-c, )1(G, -G, )) except slight decrease of the internal friction angle as b value approached to 1. Finally Lade's failure criterion presented good coincidence with the exper imental strengttL while Mohr Coulomb failure criterion underestimated the experimental strength.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.445-452
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• 2019

Gel-type biopolymers have recently been introduced as environmentally friendly soil binders and have shown substantial strengthening effects in laboratory experimental programs. Although the strengthening effects of biopolymer-treated sands have been verified in previous direct shear tests and uniaxial compression tests, there has been no attempt to examine shear behavior under different confining stress conditions. This study therefore aimed to investigate the strengthening effects of biopolymer-treated sand using laboratory triaxial testing with a focus on confining pressures. Three representative confining pressure conditions (${\sigma}_3=50kPa$, 100 kPa, and 200 kPa) were tested with varying biopolymer contents ($m_{bp}/m_s$) of 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%, respectively. Based on previous studies, it was assumed that biopolymer-treated sand is susceptible to hydraulic conditions, and therefore, the experiments were conducted in both a hydrated xanthan gum condition and a dehydrated xanthan gum condition. The results indicated that the shear resistance was substantially enhanced and there was a demonstrable increase in cohesion as well as the friction angle when the biopolymer film matrix was comprehensively developed. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the feasibility of the biopolymer treatment will remain valid under the confining pressure conditions used in this study because the resisting force of the biopolymer-treated soil was higher than that in the untreated condition, regardless of the confining pressure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.569-576
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• 2003

Based on the equivalent uniform stress concept Presented by Seed and Idriss, sinusoidal cyclic loads which simplified earthquake loads have been applied in evaluating the liquefaction resistance strength experimentally. However, the liquefaction resistance strength of soil based on the equivalent uniform stress concept can not exactly reflect the dynamic characteristics of the irregular earthquake motion. The liquefaction assessment method which was invented by using the equivalent uniform stress concept is suitable for the severe earthquake region such as Japan or USA, so the proper method to Korea is needed. In this study, estimation of the resistance to liquefaction was conducted by applying real earthquake loading to the cyclic triaxial test. From the test results, the characteristics of the fine sand under moderate earthquake were analyzed and compared with the results under strong earthquakes. Typically real earthquake loads used in this study are divided into two types - impact type and vibration type. Furthermore, results of the liquefaction resistance strength based on the equivalent uniform stress concept and tile concept using real earthquake loading were compared.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.2049-2056
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• 2011

The reinforced-roadbed materials composed of crushed stones are used for preventing vertical deformation and reducing impact load caused by highspeed train. Repeated load application can induce deformation in the reinforced-roadbed layer so that it causes irregularity of track. Thus it is important to understand characteristics of permanent deformation in the reinforced-subbase materials. The characteristics of permanent deformation can be simulated by prediction model that can be obtained by performing repetitive triaxial test. The prediction model of permanent deformation is a key-role in construction of design method of track. The prediction model of permanent deformation is represented in usual as the hyperbolic function with increase of number of load repetition. The prediction model is sensitive to many factors including stress level etc. so that it is important to define parameters of the model as clearly as possible. Various data obtained from repetitive triaxial test and resonant column test using the reinforced-roadbed of crushed stone are utilized to develop a new prediction model based on concept of shear-stress ratio and elastic modulus. The new prediction model of permanent deformation can be adapted for developing design method of track in the future.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.279-295
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• 2014

A series of one-dimensional consolidation tests and triaxial creep tests were performed on Nansha clays, which are interactive marine and terrestrial deposits, to investigate their time-dependent behaviour. Based on experimental observations of oedometer tests, normally consolidated soils exhibit larger secondary compression than overconsolidated soils; the secondary consolidation coefficient ($C_{\alpha}$) generally gets the maximum value as load approaches the preconsolidation pressure. The postsurcharge secondary consolidation coefficient ($C_{\alpha}$') is significantly less than $C_{\alpha}$. The observed secondary compression behaviour is consistent with the $C_{\alpha}/C_c$ concept, regardless of surcharging. The $C_{\alpha}/C_c$ ratio is a constant that is applicable to the recompression and compression ranges. Compared with the stage-loading test, the single-loading oedometer test can evaluate the entire process of secondary compression; $C_{\alpha}$ varies significantly with time and is larger than the $C_{\alpha}$ obtained from the stage-loading test. Based on experimental observations of triaxial creep tests, the creep for the drained state differs from the creep for the undrained state. The behaviour can be predicted by a characteristic relationship among axial strain rate, deviator stress level and time.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.1159-1166
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• 2005

In the present study, a series of laboratory tests with sands of different silt contents, are conducted and methods to assess non-linear behaviors based on in-situ test results are proposed. Modified hyperbolic stress-strain model is used to analyze non-linearity of silty sands in terms of non-linear degradation parameters f and g as a function of silt contents and relative density $D_R$. Stress-strain relationship results were obtained from a series of triaxial tests on sands containing different amounts of silt. Initial shear modulus which was applied to normalize modulus degradation of silty sands were determined based on the resonant column test results. From the laboratory test results, it was observed that, as the relative density increases, values of f decrease and those of g increase. Cone resistance $q_c$ for silty soil condition used in the triaxial tests were estimated based on the cavity expansion analysis. A suggestion to make an estimation of degradation parameters f and g as a function of fine contents is addressed in terms of cone resistance $q_c$ .