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Influence of Median Grain Size Ratio on the Strength and Liquefaction Potential of Loose Granular Fills

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Date Issued:
2016
Summary:
The characterization of silty soils is usually designated by the percentage of silt contained within the soil matrix, along with the soil’s void ratio, which is used to describe the soil’s current state. The use of these parameters to assess a soil’s strength and undrained behavior is limited when finer material is contained within the soil. Therefore, additional parameters must be considered in order to correctly assess the strength and liquefaction potential of silty soils. These additional parameters include the skeleton void ratio, equivalent void ratio and granulometric factors. The current research investigates the influence of granulometric parameters, specifically the Median Grain Size Ratio (D50/d50), denoted as μDR (or MDR within graphs and charts), on the strength and liquefaction potential of loose silty sands. A series of undrained monotonic triaxial compression tests (σ3’= 69, 83, and 103 kPa) are performed on reconstituted soil samples, using three different base sand samples and a constant silt material. As a result, three distinct median grain size ratios (μDR = 4.2, 6.75, and 9) were tested with fines content ranging from 0-30% for each μDR. The undrained shear strength at all confining pressures tends to increase with in μDR; beyond 10% fines content there was no noticeable influence of μDR. At any μDR the excess PWP is higher than that of clean sand, when fines content is larger than 5% fines content. The slope of the instability line and phase transformation line are directly affected by the μDR and fines content, with an increase in the instability line and decrease in the phase transformation line with a growing μDR. The results indicate loose granular fills can be designed to be stronger and more resilient under extreme conditions by careful choice of materials in which the μDR>6.75 and the fines content does not exceed 10%.
Title: Influence of Median Grain Size Ratio on the Strength and Liquefaction Potential of Loose Granular Fills.
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Name(s): Waganaar, Spencer, author
Sobhan, Khaled, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2016
Date Issued: 2016
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 163 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The characterization of silty soils is usually designated by the percentage of silt contained within the soil matrix, along with the soil’s void ratio, which is used to describe the soil’s current state. The use of these parameters to assess a soil’s strength and undrained behavior is limited when finer material is contained within the soil. Therefore, additional parameters must be considered in order to correctly assess the strength and liquefaction potential of silty soils. These additional parameters include the skeleton void ratio, equivalent void ratio and granulometric factors. The current research investigates the influence of granulometric parameters, specifically the Median Grain Size Ratio (D50/d50), denoted as μDR (or MDR within graphs and charts), on the strength and liquefaction potential of loose silty sands. A series of undrained monotonic triaxial compression tests (σ3’= 69, 83, and 103 kPa) are performed on reconstituted soil samples, using three different base sand samples and a constant silt material. As a result, three distinct median grain size ratios (μDR = 4.2, 6.75, and 9) were tested with fines content ranging from 0-30% for each μDR. The undrained shear strength at all confining pressures tends to increase with in μDR; beyond 10% fines content there was no noticeable influence of μDR. At any μDR the excess PWP is higher than that of clean sand, when fines content is larger than 5% fines content. The slope of the instability line and phase transformation line are directly affected by the μDR and fines content, with an increase in the instability line and decrease in the phase transformation line with a growing μDR. The results indicate loose granular fills can be designed to be stronger and more resilient under extreme conditions by careful choice of materials in which the μDR>6.75 and the fines content does not exceed 10%.
Identifier: FA00004639 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Slopes (Soil mechanics)
Soils.
Soil liquefaction.
Geotechnical engineering.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Links: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004639
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004639
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.