• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.161-175
• /
• 2016

A series of experimental studies are conducted on the deformation and shear strength property of compacted loess. The results reveal that the relationships of both the initial moisture content (w) and the initial degree of compaction (K) of compacted loess with cohesion (w) and the angle of internal friction (${\varphi}$) are linear. The relationship between the secant modulus ($E_{soi}$) and K is also linear. The relationship between $E_{soi}$ and w can be fitted well by a second-order polynomial. Further, when the influences of w and K are ignored, the relationship between the confined compression strain (${\varepsilon}$) and vertical pressure (p) can be expressed by a formula. A correction formula for the deformation of compacted loess caused by a change in w and K is derived on the basis of the study results.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.419-430
• /
• 2021

Investigation on the compressibility and shear strength of compacted loess is of great importance for the design and operation of engineering infrastructures in filling area. In this study, the mechanical behaviors of Yan'an compacted loess are investigated at various dry densities and water contents by conducting one dimensional compression and direct shear tests. And the elastic compressibility, plastic compressibility, yield stress and strength are obtained from the experiments. Results show that when water content increases, plastic compressibility parameter increases, but yield stress decreases. However, the increase of dry density leads to a decrease in plastic compressibility parameter but an increase in yield stress. In addition, elastic compressibility parameter is found to be a constant which is irrelevant to water content and dry density. As for strength, cohesion and internal friction angle is directly proportional to dry density, but inversely proportional to water content. Moreover, the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were also performed to observe the pore size distribution and microstructure of the specimens. Finally, by using results of MIP and SEM tests, the compressibility and strength behaviours of Yan'an compacted loess are explained from the perspective of pore-size distribution and microstructure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.519-527
• /
• 2022

Shear failure in soil is the primary cause of most geotechnical structure failures or instability. Soil water content is a significant factor affecting soil shear strength. In this study, the shear strength of samples with different water contents was tested. The shear strength, cohesion, and internal friction angle decreased with increasing water content. Based on the variation of cohesion and internal friction angle, the water content zone was divided into a high-water content zone and low-water content zone with a threshold water content of 15.05%. Cohesion and internal friction angle have a good linear relationship with water content in both zones. Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) test presented that the aggregates size of the compacted loess gradually increases with increasing water content. Meanwhile, the clay in the compacted loess forms a matric that envelops around the surface of the aggregates and fills the inter-aggregates pores. A quantitative analysis of bound water and free water under different water contents using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test was carried out. The threshold water content between bound water and free water was slightly below the plastic limit, which is consistent with the results of shear strength parameters. Combined with the T2 distributions obtained by NMR, one can define a T2 relaxation time of 1.58 ms as the boundary point for bound water distribution without free water. Finally, the effects of bound water and free water on shear strength parameters were analyzed using linear regression analysis.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.1143-1151
• /
• 2018

Loess often causes problems when used as a filling material in the construction of foundations. Therefore, the compaction technique, shear behavior, and bearing capacity of a filled foundation should be carefully considered. A series of tests was performed in this study to obtain effective compaction techniques and construction parameters. The results indicated that loess is strongly sensitive to water. Thus, the soil moisture content should be kept within 12%-14% when it is used as a filling material. The vibrating-dynamic combination compaction technique is effective and has fewer limitations than other methods. In addition, the shear strength of the compacted loess was found to increase linearly with the degree of compaction, and the soil's compressibility decreased rapidly with an increase in the degree of compaction when the degree of compaction was less than 95%. Finally, the characteristic value of the bearing capacity increased with an increase in the degree of compaction in a ladder-type way when the degree of compaction was within 92%-95%. Based on the test data, this paper could be used as a reference in the selection of construction designs in similar engineering projects.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.929-946
• /
• 2017

Composite foundation treated with compaction piles can eliminate collapsibility and improve the bearing capacity of foundation in loess area. However, the large number of piles in the composite foundation leads to difficulties in the analysis of such type of engineering works. This paper proposes two simplified methods to quantify the stability of composite foundation treated with a large number of compaction piles. The first method is based on the principle of making the area replacement ratios of the simplified model as the same time as the practical engineering situation. Then, discrete piles arranged in a triangular shape can be simplified in the model where the annular piles and compacted soil are arranged alternately. The second method implements equivalent continuous treatment in the pile-soil area and makes the whole treated region equivalent to a type of composite material. Both methods have been verified using treated foundation of an oil storage tank. The results have shown that the differences in the settlement values obtained from the water filled test in the field and those calculated by the two simplified methods are negligible. Using stability analysis, the difference ratios of the static and dynamic safety factors of the composite foundation treated with compaction piles calculated by these two simplified methods are found to be 3.56% and 5.32%, respectively. At the same time, both static and dynamic safety factors are larger than the general safety factor, which should be greater than or equal to 2.0 according to the provisions in civil engineering. This indicates that after being treated with compaction piles, the bearing capacity of the composite foundation is effectively improved and the foundation has enough safety reserve.