• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.243-249
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• 2012

In the companion paper, the nonlinear consolidation of soft clays subjected to cyclic loading was analytically investigated. This paper reports the results of an experimental program conducted to verify some critical assumptions made in the analytical study. It, also, includes a numerical study carried out to examine the capability of the proposed theory to determine the consolidation characteristics of soft clays subjected to cyclic loading. Results show that the permeability of the soft clays does not significantly change during the cyclic loading. It is also shown that, compared to the Terzaghi's solution for a linear clay, the inherit nonlinearity of the clay tends to decrease the degree of consolidation due to the smaller rate of dissipation in the excess pore water pressure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.229-241
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• 2012

In this paper, utilizing void ratio-effective stress and void ratio-permeability relationships, a system of two nonlinear partial differential equations is derived to predict the consolidation characteristics of normally consolidated (NC) and overconsolidated (OC) soft clays subjected to cyclic loading. A developed feature of the coefficient of consolidation containing two key parameters is emerged from the differential equations. Effect of these parameters on the consolidation characteristics of soft clays is analytically discussed. It is shown that the ratios between the slopes of e-$log{\sigma}^{\prime}$ and e-log k lines in the NC and OC states play a major role in the consolidation process. In the companion paper, the critical assumptions made in the analytical discussion are experimentally verified and a numerical study is carried out in order to examine the proposed theory.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.615-626
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• 2022

The soft clays are widely distributed, and one of the prominent engineering problems is the creep behavior. In order to predict the creep deformation of soft clays in an easier and more acceptable way, a simple creep constitutive model has been proposed in this paper. Firstly, the triaxial creep test data indicated that, the strain-time (𝜀-t) curve showing in the 𝜀-lgt space can be divided into two lines with different slopes, and the time referring to the demarcation point is named as t_EOP. Thereafter, the strain increments occurred after the time t_EOP are totally assumed to be the creep components, and the elastic and plastic strains had occurred before t_EOP. A hyperbolic equation expressing the relationship between creep volumetric strain, stress and time is proposed, with several triaxial creep test data of soft clays verifying the applicability. Additionally, the creep flow law is suggested to be similar with the plastic flow law of the modified Cam-Clay model, and the proposed volumetric strain equation is used to deduced the scaling factor for creep strains. Therefore, a creep constitutive model is thereby established, and verified by successfully predicting the creep principal strains of triaxial specimens.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.707-726
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• 2015

This paper investigates the time dependent behaviour of Haarajoki test embankment on soft structured clay deposit. Half of the embankment is constructed on an area improved with prefabricated vertical drains, while the other half is constructed on the natural deposit without any ground improvement. To analyse the PVD-improved subsoil, axisymmetric vertical drains were converted into equivalent plane strain conditions using three different approaches. The construction and consolidation of the embankment are analysed with the finite element method using a recently developed anisotropic model for time-dependent behaviour of soft clays. The constitutive model, namely ACM-S accounts for combined effects of plastic anisotropy, interparticle bonding and degradation of bonds and creep. For comparison, the problem is also analysed with isotropic Soft Soil Creep and Modified Cam Clay models. The results of the numerical analyses are compared with the field measurements. The results show that neglecting effects of anisotropy, destructuration and creep may lead to inaccurate predictions of soft clay response. Additionally, the numerical results show that the matching methods accurately predict the consolidation behaviour of the embankment on PVD improved soft clays and provide a useful tool for engineering practice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.111-120
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.264-271
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• 2005

Sand pile method, such as sand drain method and sand compaction pile method, has been popularly used as an improvement method for soft clay grounds. The effect of accelerating consolidation of soft clay grounds has been evaluated with Barron's solution. By the way, the consolidation behavior of soft clay ground with sand piles strongly depends on both the nonlinear mechanical interaction between sand piles and surrounding clays and the degradation permeability of clays. In this paper, the method for determining consolidation parameters of soft clay ground with sand drains by using Barron's solution was proposed, through a series of numerical simulations. Through the method, the change in both volume compressibility and permeability during consolidation was reasonably evaluated.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.561-573
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• 2020

The creep and consolidation behaviors of clays subjected to thermal cycles are of fundamental importance in the application of energy geostructures. This study aims to numerically investigate the physical mechanisms for the temperature-triggered volume change of saturated clays. A recently developed thermodynamic framework is used to derive the thermo-mechanical constitutive model for clays. Based on the model, a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element (FE) code is developed. Comparison with experimental observations shows that the proposed FE code can well reproduce the irreversible thermal contraction of normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays, as well as the thermal expansion of heavily overconsolidated clays under drained heating. Simulations reveal that excess pore pressure may accumulate in clay samples under triaxial drained conditions due to low permeability and high heating rate, resulting in thermally induced primary consolidation. Results show that four major mechanisms contribute to the thermal volume change of clays: (i) the principle of thermal expansion, (ii) the decrease of effective stress due to the accumulation of excess pore pressure, (iii) the thermal creep, and (iv) the thermally induced primary consolidation. The former two mechanisms mainly contribute to the thermal expansion of heavily overconsolidated clays, whereas the latter two contribute to the noticeable thermal contraction of normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays. Consideration of the four physical mechanisms is important for the settlement prediction of energy geostructures, especially in soft soils.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.443-452
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• 2005

The compaction pile methods with low replacement area ratio used sand(SCP) or gravel(GCP) has been usually applied to improvement of soft clay deposits. In order to design accurately compaction pile method with low replacement area ratio, it is important to understand the mechanical interaction between sand piles and clays and its mechanism during consolidation process of the composition ground. In this paper, a series of numerical analyses on composition ground improved by SCP and GCP with low replacement area ratio were carried out, in order to investigate the mechanical interaction between sand piles and clays. The applicability of numerical analyses, in which and elasto-viscoplastic consolidation finite element method was applied, could be confirmed comparing with results of a series of model tests on consolidation behaviors of composition ground improved by SCP. And,through the results of the numerical analyses, each mechanical behaviors of compaction piles and clays in the composition ground during consolidation was elucidated, together with stress sharing mechanism between compaction piles and clays.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.623-635
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• 2022

This paper presents the re-evaluation of existing piezocone penetration test (CPTu)-based shear wave velocity (V_s) equations through their application into well-documented data obtained at nine sites in six countries. The re-evaluation indicates that the existing equations are appropriate to use for any specific soil, but not for various types of clays. Existing equations were adjusted to suit all nine clays and show that the correlations between the measured and predicted V_s values tend to improve with an increasing number of parameters in the equations. An adjusted equation, which comprises a CPTu parameter and two soil properties (i.e., effective overburden stress and void ratio) with the best correlation, can be converted into a CPTu-based equation that has two CPTu parameters and depth by considering the effect of soil cementation. Then, the developed equation was verified by application to each of the nine soils and nine other worldwide clays, in which the predicted V_s values are comparable with the measured and the stochastically simulated values. Accordingly, the newly developed CPTu-based equation, which is a time-saving and economical method and can estimate V_s indirectly for any type of naturally deposited clay, is recommended for practical applications.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.325-343
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• 2016

A total stress-based bounding surface model is developed to predict the undrained behaviour of saturated soft clays under cyclic loads based on the anisotropic hardening modulus field and bounding-surface theories. A new hardening rule is developed based on a new interpolation function of the hardening modulus that has simple mathematic expression and fewer model parameters. The evolution of hardening modulus field is described in the deviatoric stress space. It is assumed that the stress reverse points are the mapping centre points and the mapping centre moves with the variation of loading and unloading paths to describe the cyclic stress-strain hysteresis curve. In addition, by introducing a model parameter that reflects the accumulation rate and level of shear strain to the interpolation function, the cyclic shakedown and failure behaviour of soil elements with different combinations of initial and cyclic stresses can be captured. The methods to determine the model parameters using cyclic triaxial compression tests are also studied. Finally, the cyclic triaxial extension and torsional shear tests are performed. By comparing the predictions with the test results, the model can be used to describe undrained cyclic stress-strain responses of elements with different stress states for the tested clays.