• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.149-163
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• 2021

Damage characteristics of granite, marble and sandstone whose properties were different were investigated by uniaxial compression test and cyclic loading-unloading test. Strength, elastic constants and damage threshold stresses were measured by uniaxial compression test and were compared with those measured by cyclic loading-unloading test. Average rock strengths measured by cyclic loading-unloading test were either lower than or similar with those measured by uniaxial compression test. Rocks with high strength and low porosity were more sensitive to fatigue than that with low strength and high porosity. Although permanent strains caused by cyclic loading-unloading were different according to rock types, they could be good indicators representing damage characteristics of rock. Damage threshold stress of granite and marble might be measured from stress-permanent strain curves. Acoustic emissions were measured during both tests and felicity ratios which represented damage characteristics of rocks were calculated. Felicity ratio of sandstone which was weak in strength and highly porous could not be calculated because of very few measurements of acoustic emissions. On the other hand, damage threshold could be predicted from felicity ratios of granite and marble which were brittle and low in porosity. The deformation behaviors and damage characteristics of rock mass could be investigated if additional tests for various rock types were performed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.2
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• pp.179-196
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• 2021

Experimental investigations on the seismic behaviors of the PVC-FRP Confined Reinforced Concrete (PFCRC) columns under low cyclic loading are carried out and two variable parameters including CFRP strips spacing and axial compression ratio are considered. The PFCRC column finally fails by bending and is characterized by the crushing of concrete and yielding of the longitudinal reinforcement, and the column with a high axial compression ratio is also accompanied by the cracking of the PVC tube and the fracture of CFRP strips. The hysteretic curves and skeleton curves of the columns are obtained from the experimental data. With the increase of axial compression ratio, the stiffness degradation rate accelerates and the ductility decreases. With the decrease of CFRP strips spacing, the unloading sections of the skeleton curves become steep and the ductility reduces significantly. On the basis of fiber model method, a numerical analysis approach for predicting the skeleton curves of the PFCRC columns is developed. Additionally, a simplified skeleton curve including the elastic stage, strengthening stage and unloading stage is suggested depending on the geometric drawing method. Moreover, the loading and unloading rules of the PFCRC columns are revealed by analyzing the features of the skeleton curves. The quantitative expressions that are used to predict the unloading stiffness of the specimens in each stage are proposed. Eventually, an analytical model for the PFCRC columns under low cyclic loading is established and it agrees well with test data.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.375-382
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• 2000

Experimental investigation into the cyclic behaviour of sand plast brick masonry was performed on forty two square panels. The panels were subjected to cyclic uniaxial compression for two cases of loading: normal to bed joint and parallel to bed joint. Experimental data were used to plot the unloading-reloading curves for the entire range of the stress-strain curve. Mathematical expressions to predict the reloading and unloading stress-strain curves at various values of residual strain are proposed. A simple parabola and an exponential type formula are found adequate to model the unloading and reloading curves respectively. The models account for the potential effects of residual strain on these curves. Comparison of test results with the proposed mathematical expression shows good correspondence.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.359-373
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• 2008

The present parametric study deals with the meso-scale modelling of concrete subjected to cyclic compression, which exhibits hysteresis loops during unloading and reloading. Concrete is idealised as a two-dimensional three-phase composite made of aggregates, mortar and interfacial transition zones (ITZs). The meso-scale modelling approach relies on the hypothesis that the hysteresis loops are caused by localised permanent displacements, which result in nonlinear fracture processes during unloading and reloading. A parametric study is carried out to investigate how aggregate density and size, amount of permanent displacements in the ITZ and the mortar, and the ITZ strength influence the hysteresis loops obtained with the meso-scale modelling approach.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.167-180
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• 1994

A series of long term consolidation tests were conducted under loading -unloading and loading(pc) -unloading(p.) -reloading(p,) conditions using reconstituted clay in order to investigate the effect of stress history on secondary consolidation characteristics and the applicability of the secondary consolidation model suggested by Bjerrum to overconsolidated clays. According to the test results, the secondary compression settlement affected by the stress history in the first half of experimental period and the coefficient of secondary compression, C‥‥ is dependent on overconsolidation ratio, OCR(p,1 p.), maBium OCR (p./p.), and unloading duration time. Moreover the coefficient of secondary consolidation in the latter half of experimental period Cn is mainly affected by OCR and it gradually reduces with OCR increment. Finally the comparison of the experimental results with the Bjerrum model indicates that the Bjerrum model can be applied beyond certain range of stress history in the overconsolidated clay.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.499-517
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• 2013

In order to investigate shear behavior of granular materials due to excavation and associated unloading actions, load-controlled plane strain compression tests under decreasing confining pressure were performed under drained conditions and the results were compared with the conventional plane strain compression tests. Four types of granular material consisting of two quartz sands and two glass beads were used to investigate particle shape effects. It is clarified that macro stress-strain behavior is more easily influenced by stress level and stress path in sands than in glass beads. Development of localized deformation was analyzed using photogrammetry method. It was found that shear bands are generated before peak strength and shear band patterns vary during the whole shearing process. Under the same test condition, shear band thickness in the two sands was smaller than that in one type of glass beads even if the materials have almost the same mean particle size. Shear band thickness also decreased with increase of confining pressure regardless of particle shape or size. Local maximum shear strain inside shear band grew approximately linearly with global axial strain from onset of shear band to the end of softening. The growth rate is found related to shear band thickness. The wider shear band, the relatively lower the growth rate. Finally, observed shear band inclination angles were compared with classical Coulomb and Roscoe solutions and different results were found for sands and glass beads.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.45-52
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• 2022

Prediction of soil behavior should be interpreted based on the level of axial strain in the actual ground. Recently numerical methods have been carried out focus on the state of soil failure. However considered the deformation of soil the prior to failure, mostly the small strain occurring in the elastic range is considered. As a result of calculating the deformation modulus to 50% of the maximum unconfined compression strength, Deformation modulus (E50) showed a tendency to increase according to the degree of compaction by region. The Poisson's ratio during loading-unloading was 0.63, which was higher than the literature value of 0.5. For the unconfined compression test under cyclic loading for the measurement of permanent strain, the maximum compression strength was divided into four step and the test was performed by load step. Changes in permanent strain and deformation modulus were checked by the loading-unloading test for each stage. At 90% compaction, the permanent deformation of the SM sample was 0.21 mm, 0.37 mm, 0.6 mm, and 1.35 mm. The SC samples were 0.1 mm, 0.17 mm, 0.42 mm, and 1.66 mm, and the ML samples were 0.48 mm, 0.95 mm, 1.30 mm, and 1.68 mm.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.443-452
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• 2024

The use of sand-tire chip mixtures in construction industry is a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that addresses both waste tire disposal and soil improvement needs. However, the addition of tire chip particles to natural soils decreases maximum shear modulus (G_max), but increases compressibility, which can be potential drawbacks. This study examines the effect of overconsolidation stress history on the maximum shear modulus (G_max) of rigid-soft mixtures with varying size ratios (SR) and tire chip contents (TC) by measuring the wave velocity through a 1-D compression test during loading and unloading. The results demonstrate that the G_max of tested mixtures in the normally consolidated state increased with increasing SR and decreasing TC. However, the tested mixtures with a smaller SR exhibited a greater increase in G_max during unloading because of the active pore-filling behavior of the smaller rubber particles and the consequent increased connectivity between sand particles. The SR-dependent impact of the overconsolidation stress history on G_max was verified using the ratio between the swelling and compression indices. Most importantly, this study reveals that the excessive settlement and lower G_max of rigid-soft mixtures can be overcome by introducing an overconsolidated state in sand-tire chip mixtures with low TC.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.435-454
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• 2002

The paper proposes analytical forms able to represent with very good approximation the constitutive law experimentally deducible by means of uniaxial cyclic compressive tests on material having softening post-peak behaviour in compression and negligible tensile strength. The envelope, unloading and reloading curves characterizing the proposed model adequately approach structural responses corresponding to different levels of nonlinearity and ductility, requiring a not very high number of parameters to be calibrated experimentally. The reliability of the model is shown by comparing the results that it is able to provide with the ones analytically deduced from two reference models (one for concrete, another for masonry) available in the literature, and with experimental results obtained by the authors in the framework of a research in progress.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.5-16
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• 2007

The simple linear elastic-perfectly plastic model with soil parameters $s_u,\;E_u$ and n of undrained condition is usually applied to predict the displacement of a constructed diaphragm wall(DW) on soft soils during excavation. However, the application of this soil model for finite element analysis could not interpret the continued increment of the lateral displacement of the DW for the large and deep excavation area both during the elapsed time without activity of excavation and after finishing excavation. To study the characteristic behaviors of soil behind the DW during the periods without excavation, a series of tests on soft Bangkok clay samples are simulated in the same manner as stress condition of soil elements happening behind diaphragm wall by triaxial tests. Three kinds of triaxial tests are carried out in this research: $K_0$ consolidated undrained compression($CK_0U_C$) and $K_0$ consolidated drained/undrained unloading compression with periodic decrement of horizontal pressure($CK_0DUC$ and $CK_0UUC$). The study shows that the shear strength of series $CK_0DUC$ tests is equal to the residual strength of $CK_0UC$ tests. The Young's modulus determined at each decrement step of the horizontal pressure of soil specimen on $CK_0DUC$ tests decreases with increase in the deviator stress. In addition, the slope of Critical State Line of both $CK_0UC$ and $CK_0DUC$ tests is equal. Moreover, the axial and radial strain rates of each decrement of horizontal pressure step of $CK_0DUC$ tests are established with the function of time, a slope of critical state line and a ratio of deviator and mean effective stress. This study shows that the results of the unloading compression triaxial tests can be used to predict the diaphragm wall deflection during excavation.