SCHOOL OF CIVIL & RESOURCE ENGINEERING

GEOMECHANICS CIVL 2122

PART 2B COLLAPSE CALCULATIONS USING UNDRAINED SHEAR STRENGTH

PROFESSOR MARTIN FAHEY

SCHOOL OF CIVIL & RESOURCE ENGINEERING

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

Collapse Calculations

Table of Contents 1. 1. 2. 3. Collapse calculations using undrained shear strength....................................................................1 Lower bound theorem ....................................................................................................................1 Upper bound theorem.....................................................................................................................3 Collapse of a footing on clay .........................................................................................................4 3.1 3.2 4. 5. Simple lower bound ...........................................................................................................4 Simple upper bound ...........................................................................................................5

Collapse of a slope (cutting) in clay...............................................................................................6 Vane shear test ...............................................................................................................................7

School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

Collapse Calculations

1. Collapse calculations using undrained shear strength

For fine-grained saturated soil (i.e. generally clayey soil), foundation loads are imposed quickly enough for the response to be considered undrained. We can therefore think of these soils of having (at a particular time) a fixed value of undrained shear strength, su, which is not altered by the application of the load. Generally, the shear strength increases with time after the load is applied, as consolidation occurs and the excess pore pressure dissipates and the effective stress increases. The critical stage with regard to stability is therefore immediately after the load is applied. This is generally not the case for sands, where the rate of application of the foundation load is not fast enough for excess pore pressures to build up during loading (they drain away as fast as they are generated). Thus, as the foundation load is applied, the sand under the foundation increases in strength, so that the strength changes continually, and what is discussed in this section does not apply.

Saturated clay soil

Saturated (or dry) sand

Applying the load P has no (immediate) effect on strength (because effective stress does not change) stability depends on initial in situ strength

Applying the load P changes effective stress immediately strength changes as the load is applied

1.

Lower bound theorem

The lower bound theorem allows an estimate of the collapse load to be calculated which, if the rules are followed, we can be sure is either less than, or equal to, the true collapse load (i.e. its a lower bound to the true collapse load). The rules are: Assume (guess) some distribution of stress in the ground due to the load The distribution does not have to be realistic, but the stresses must be in equilibrium The maximum shear stress also cannot be greater than the shear strength The load that is in equilibrium with this stress distribution is a lower bound to the true collapse load If the stress distribution guessed happens to be the correct one, the collapse load calculated is the true collapse load.

School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Compression and Consolidation

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

Example: Vertical cutting in clay, with shear strength su. What is the maximum surface stress (q) that can be supported? (Assume the soil is weightless).

Surface stress = q
Unsupported cut

= su

v h

Mohr Circle cannot go outside these limits

Shear strength su

v = diameter = 2su

For equilibrium (with zero stress on the face of the cutting), h has to be zero. The most that v can be is 2su (to give a Mohr circle with radius = = su). For equilibrium, v = q Therefore, a lower bound estimate of the collapse stress is: q = 2su

School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

Collapse Calculations

2.

Upper bound theorem

The upper bound theorem allows an estimate of the collapse load to be calculated which, if the rules are followed, we can be sure is either greater than, or equal to, the true collapse load (i.e. its an upper bound to the true collapse load). The rules are: Assume (guess) some failure mechanism sliding of rigid plastic blocks The mechanism must be feasible (possible) e.g. one block cannot occupy the same volume as another block Calculate the work done by the external forces in an increment of movement, and the work dissipated in plastic work internally. These must be equal. This gives a collapse load that is an upper bound to the true collapse load If the failure mechanism guessed happens to be the correct one, the collapse load calculated is the true collapse load. Example: Same problem as above. Assume mechanism of failure: Rigid block ABC (at angle 45) slides into excavation. An increment of vertical movement implies an equal increment of horizontal movement , and a movement along the sliding plane AB = 2 . .
b

Surface stress = q
A C

Length AB = 2 .b

Movement vectors: Assume is increment of vertical movement

2 .

45
Shear strength su B

= vertical movement of top surface

Calculations are for a unit thickness back into the page. Vertical force acting on block = q.b

External work done by this force We = q.b {

force

displacement

Internal work (plastic shear work on failure plane) Wi = s u . 2 .b 123 4 4

Force

displacement

2 . {

= s u .2b.

But We = Wi q = 2.s u

q.b. = su .2b.

In this (rare) case, the upper bound solution = lower bound solution. Therefore, this is the exact solution.

School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Compression and Consolidation

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

3.
3.1

Collapse of a footing on clay

Simple lower bound

Guess simple stress distribution: Three regions, as shown

Stress on strip footing = q Strip footing: A footing that is very long back into the page v h h v v
Region 1 Region 2 Region 1

v h h

v v h 2

Shear strength su Unit weight

h in 1 must be equal to h in 2, for equilibrium.

But v in 1 does not have to be equal to v in 2.

Stress discontinuities (frictionless in this example)

Region 1 v1 = .h h1 = ? Major principal stress is horizontal must be equal

Region 2 v2 = .h + q h2 = ? Major principal stress is vertical

There has to be equilibrium across the discontinuity, which means that h must be the same on both sides. Draw Mohr Circles of Stress for both sides of the discontinuity, with h1 = h2.

= su = su

v1

h1 h2

v2

Region 1

Region 2

v1 + 2 diameters = v2

h + 2(2su) = v2 = q + h

q = 4.su Lower bound estimate of collapse load q. Even though the stress distribution is very unrealistic, weve followed the rules about equilibrium, and not exceeding the shear strength. Therefore, this is a guaranteed lower bound. A better (higher) lower bound would be obtained if we used a better (more realistic) stress distribution.
School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

Collapse Calculations

3.2

Simple upper bound

B

Stress on strip footing = q Mechanism: Assume circular failure surface, with centre of rotation at edge of footing.
Centre of rotation

B.d d

Length of failure surface (arc) = .B Displacement of any point on the arc = B.d Average displacement of the footing = (B.d)/2

Shearing resistance = su

External work done on the footing : We = q.B . {

force

displacement

B d 2 {

=q

B2 d 2

Internal work (plastic shear work) : Wi = su .B. 1 3 2

force

displacement

B.d {

= su .B 2 ..d

B2 We = Wi q d = su .B 2 ..d 2 q = 2 su = 6.28 su (Upper bound solution)

To get a better (i.e. lower) upper bound, search for a mechanism that will give a lower value of the collapse bearing pressure. So, for this example, we have: Lower bound q

= 4.su

Upper bound q

= 6.28 su.

Therefore, we have bounded the true value:

4.su < q < 6.28.su

If we were not happy to accept this range of uncertainty on the true collapse bearing pressure, we would try to improve both solutions, to make the bounds closer together. (This problem has an exact solution: The true value of the collapse bearing pressure, also called the ultimate bearing pressure qult) is

qult = (2+).su = 5.14 su

Example calculation: Strip footing is to be designed to carry a load of 150 kN/m (i.e. 150 kN for each metre back into the page), and is founded on clay with su = 75 kPa. If the Factor of Safety against bearing failure is required to be 3.0, how wide must the footing be?
q ult = 5.14 su = 5.14 75 = 386 kPa q all = q ult 386 = = 129 kPa 3 3 Load Q = 150 kN / m = q.B (q all is the " allowable" bearing pressure)

B=

Q 150 = = 1.16 m (Probably make it 1.2 m wide) q all 129

School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Compression and Consolidation

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

4.

Collapse of a slope (cutting) in clay

Many slope failures have been observed to be circular in shape (just like the failure under a footing) i.e. rotation about some point. This is a case where we can use equilibrium (moment equilibrium) to get a solution. This is very similar to the upper bound method, because we also assume a collapse mechanism, as shown below. The slope shown is 7 m high and has a slope angle of 45, the circle radius is 15 m, the shear strength of the clay su is 30 kPa, and the angle = 57, and the soil unit weight is 17 kN/m3.

O
= 57 Area of sliding mass = 40 m2 (i.e. Volume = 40 m3/m into page) x = 6.17 m 15 m

B
= su
Clay: Shear strength su = 17 kPa Unit weight = 17 kN/m3

7m

A
Rock

Centre of Gravity of sliding mass

Factor of Safety, Fs = Moment resisting failure :

M R Moment resisting failure = M D Moment ' driving' failure

M R = su .L AB .R

(L AB = R .)

57o = su .R 2 . = 30 15 2 180o M R = 6715 kN / m (i.e. per m slice ' into page' ) Moment causing (' driving' ) failure : M D = W .x From the diagram, the area of the sliding mass = 40 m2 (Vol = 40 m3 /m) and x = 6.17 m W = Vol = 40 17 = 680 kN / m M D = 680 6.17 = 4556 kN.m / m M R 6715 = = 1.47 ( > 1.0, therefore SAFE) M D 4556 Other circles (mechanisms) may be less safe, so must search to find the worst case (lowest Fs). Fs =
School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia

Geomechanics (CIVL 2122)

Collapse Calculations

5.

Vane shear test

A shear vane is a device for measuring the undrained shear strength su of (saturated) clayey soils. The version shown here is a small laboratory version, but larger versions, with long rods, are used in the field. This will be covered in the Site Investigation section of this unit. The vane section is pushed into the soil such that it is completely buried with the soil. The top is then rotated. The top section is connected to the vane stem via a coil spring, so that as the top is rotated, an increasing torque is applied to the vane stem. The torque is measured on the dial. The torque is increased until the vane rotates within the soil, forcing a cylindrical body of soil to rotate with it. The maximum torque applied is indicated on the dial. Since it is the shear strength of the soil that provides the torsional resistance, it is possible to relate the shear strength to the applied torque, as shown below. This is an example of an equilibrium calculation, where in this case we are comparing an applied torque and a resisting torque. Calculate the torsional resistance provided by the soil, at the point where the cylinder of soil just starts to rotate. The shear stress in the soil at this stage is = su. Tcyl = surface area shear stress lever arm D D 2 H = su 2 2 Top and bottom surfaces of the cylinder. Assume that the shear stress is uniform over these surfaces, and equal to su. = (DH ) s u Element of thickness dr, area = 2.r.dr dT = area shear stress lever arm = 2.r.dr s u R
R

Applied torque T

Cylindrical part:

Ttop = 2.s u

D D3 = 2.s u = .s u 24 12 Ttop + Tbot. = .s u D3 6

r =0 3

2 r dr = 2.su

R3 3

r dr

Resistance by the soil, along the surfaces of the cylinder of soil defined by the vane

D3 D 2 H Then , T = s u + .s u , so that : 2 6 6T su = 2 D (3H + D )

= su

School of Civil & Resource Engineering, The University of Western Australia