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Module 1
(Lecture 4)
GEOTECHNICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL AND OF
REINFORCED SOIL
Topics
4.1 SHEAR STRENGTH
4.1.1 Direct Shear Test
4.1.2 Triaxial Tests
4.2 UNCONFINED COMPRESSION TEST
4.3 COMMENTS ON SHEAR STRENGTH
PARAMETERS
4.1.3 Drained Friction Angle of Granular Soils
4.1.4 Drained Friction Angle of Cohesive Soils
4.4 SENSITIVITY
4.5 SOIL REINFORCEMENT-GENERAL
4.6 CONSIDERATIONS FOR SOIL REINFORCEMENT
4.1.4 Metal Strips
4.1.5 Nonbiodegradable Fabrics
4.1.6 Geogrids
4.7 PROBLEMS
SHEAR STRENGTH
The shear strength, s, of a soil, in terms of effective stress, is
s = c + tan
[1.82]
Where
= effective normal stress on plane of shearing
c = cohesion, or apparent cohesion
= angle of friction
Equation (82) is referred to as the Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria. The value of c for
sands and normally consolidated clays is equal to zero. For overconsolidated clays, c >
0.
For most day-to-day work, the shear strength parameters of a soil (that is, c and ) are
determined by two standard laboratory tests. They are (a) the direct shear test and (b) the
triaxial test.
Direct Shear Test
Dry sand can be conveniently tested by direct shear tests. The sand is placed in a shear
box that is split into two halves (figure 1.32a). A normal load is first applied to the
specimen. Then a shear force is applied to the top half of the shear box to cause failure in
the sand. The normal and shear stresses at failure are
Figure 1.32 Direct shear test in sand: (a) schematic diagram of test equipment; (b) plot of
test results to obtain the friction angle,
N
A
S=A
Where
A = Area of the failure plane in soil-that is, the area of cross section of the shear box
Several tests of this type can be conducted by varying the normal load. The angle of
friction of the sand can be determined by plotting a graph of s against (= )
s
= tan1
[1.83]
For sands, the angle of friction usually ranges from 26 to 45 , increasing with the
relative density of compaction. The approximate range of the relative density of
compaction and the corresponding range of the angle of friction for various coarsegrained soils is shown in figure 1.33.
Figure 1.33 Range of relative density and corresponding range of angle of friction for
coarse-grained soil (after U. S. Department of the Navy, 1971)
Triaxial Tests
Triaxial compression tests can be conducted on sands and clays. Figure 1.34a shows a
schematic diagram of the triaxial test arrangement. Essentially, it consists of placing a
soil specimen confined by a rubber membrane in a Lucite chamber. An all-round
confining pressure (3 ) is applied to the specimen by means of the chamber fluid
(generally water or glycerin). An added stress () can also be applied to the specimen in
the axial direction to cause failure ( = f at failure). Drainage from the specimen can
be allowed or stopped, depending on the test condition. For clays, three main types of
tests can be conducted with triaxial equipment:
Changing 3 allows several tests of this type to be conducted on various clay specimens.
The shear strength parameters (c and ) can now be determined by plotting Mohrs
circle at failure, as shown in figure 1.34b, and drawing a common tangent to the Mohrs
circles. This is the Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope. (Note: For normally consolidated
clay, c 0). At failure
1 = 3 tan2 45 + 2 + 2c tan 45 + 2
[1.84]
[1.85]
Where ccu and cu are the consolidated-undrained cohesion and angle of friction
respectively (Note: ccu 0 for normally consolidated clays)
Similarly, effective stress Mohrs circles at failure can be drawn to determine the
effective stress failure envelopes (figure 1.34c). They follow the relation expressed in
equation (82).
For unconsolidated-undrained triaxial tests
Major principal total stress= 3 = f = 1
Minor principal total stress = 3
The total stress Mohrs circle at failure can now be drawn, as shown in figure 1.34d. For
saturated clays, the value of 1 3 = f is a constant, irrespective of the chamber
confining pressure, 3 (also shown in figure 1.34d). The tangent to these Mohrs circles
will be a horizontal line, called the = 0 condition. The shear stress for this condition is
s = cu =
f
2
[1.86]
Where
cu = undrained cohesion (or undrained shear strength)
The pore pressure developed in the soil specimen during the unconsolidated-undrained
triaxial test is
u = ua + ud
[1.87]
ua = B3
[1.88]
The pore pressure ua is the contribution of the hydrostatic chamber pressure, 3 . Hence
Where
B = Skempton spore pressure parameter
[1.89]
Where
A = Skempton spore pressure parameter
However,
= 1 3
[1.90]
u = ua + ud = B3 + A1 3
[1.91]
u = 3 + A(1 3 )
[1.93a]
The value of the pore water pressure parameter A at failure will vary with the type of soil.
Following is a general range of the values of A at failure for various types of clayey soil
encountered in nature.
Type of soil
A at failure
Sandy clays
0.5-0.7
0.5-1
Overconsolidated clays
-0.5-0
Figure 1.36 Unconfined compression test: (a) soil specimen; (b) Mohrs circle for the
test; (c) variation of q u with the degree of saturation
qu
2
[1.93b]
The unconfined compression strength can be used as an indicator for the consistency of
clays.
Unconfined compression tests are sometimes conducted on unsaturated soils. With the
void ratio of a soil specimen remaining constant, the unconfined compression strength
rapidly decreases with the degree of saturation (figure 1.36c). Figure 1.37 shows an
unconfined compression test in progress.
Figure 1.37 Unconfined compression test in progress (courtesy of Soiltest, Inc., Lake
Bluff, Illinois)
COMMENTS ON SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETERS
Drained Friction Angle of Granular Soils
In general, the direct shear test yields a higher angle of friction compared to that obtained
by the triaxial test. It also needs to be pointed out that the failure envelope for a given soil
is actually curved. The Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria defined by equation (82) are only
an approximation. Because of the curved nature of the failure envelope, a soil tested at
higher normal stress will yield a lower value of . An example of that is shown in figure
1.38, which is a plot of versus the void ratio, e, for Chattahoochee River sand near
Atlanta, Georgia (Vesic, 1963). These friction angles were obtained from trixial tests.
Note that, for a given value of e, the magnitude of is about 4 to 5 degrees smaller when
the confining pressure 3 is greater than 10 lb/in.2 (69kN/m2 ) compared to that when
3 < 10/in.2
Figure 1.38 Variation of friction angle with void ratio for Chattachoochee River sand
(after Vesic, 1963)
Figure 1.39 Variation of friction angle with plasticity index for several clays (after
Bjerrum and Simons, 1960)
Figure 1.40 Plot of deviator stress vs. axial strain-drained triaxial test
At failure (that is, peak strength), the relationship between 1 and 3 was given by
equation (84). However, for ultimate strength, it can be shown that
1(ult ) = 3 tan2 45 +
Where
r
2
[1.94]
Figure 1.41 shows the general nature of the failure envelopes at peak strength and
ultimate strength (or residual strength). The residual shear strength of clays is important
in the evaluation of long-term stability of new and existing slopes and the design of
remedial measures. The drained friction angles (r ) of clays may be substantially smaller
than the drained peak friction angles. Figure 1.42 shows the variation of r with liquid
limit for some clays (Stark, 1995). It is important to note that
Figure 1.42 Variation of r with liquid limit for some clays (after Stark, 1995)
There are several empirical relations between cu and the effective overburden pressure p
in the field. Some of these relationships are summarized in table 16.
Figure 1.44 Variation of cu /p with liquidity index [based on Bjerrum and Simons (1960)]
q u (undisturbed
q u (remolded )
[1.95]
Skempton
(1957)
Relationship
Remarks
cu(VST )
= 0.11 + 0.0037PI
p
For
normally
consolidated clay
cu(VST )
= undrianed shear strenth from vane shear test
(see chapter 3 for details for vane shear test)
Chadler (1988)
cu(VST )
= 0.11 + 0.0037PI
p
pc = preconsolidation pressure
Not valid or
sensitive
and
fissured clays
Jamiolkowski et
al. (1985)
Mesri (1989)
Bjerrum
and
Simons (1960)
cu
= 0.23 0.04
pc
cu
= f(LI)
p
cu
= 0.22
p
LI = liquidity index
al.
c
pu
overconsolidated
c
pu
normally
consolidated
= (OCR)0.8
pc
p
The sensitivity ratio of most clays ranges from about 1 to 8; however, highly flocculent
marine clay deposits may have sensitivity ratios ranging from about 10 to 80. Some clay
turn to viscous liquids upon remolding, and these clays are referred to as quick clays.
The loss of strength of clay soils from remolding is caused primarily by the destruction of
the clay particle structure that was developed during the original process of
sedimentation.
SOIL REINFORCEMENT-GENERAL
The use of reinforced earth is a recent development in the design and construction of
foundations and earth-retaining structures. Reinforced earth is a construction material
comprising soil that has been strengthened by tensile elements such as metal rods and/or
strips, nonbiodegradable fabrics (geotextiles), geogrids, and the like. The fundamental
idea of reinforcing soil is not new; in fact, it goes back several centuries. However, the
present concept of systematic analysis and design was developed by a French engineer,
H, Vidal (1966). The French Road Research Laboratory has done extensive research on
the applicability and the beneficial effects of the use of reinforced earth as a construction
material. This research has been documented in detail by Darbin (1970), Schlosser and
Long (1974), and Schlosser and Vidal (1969). The test conducted involved the use of
metallic strips as reinforcing material.
Retaining walls with reinforced earth have been constructed around the world since Vidal
began his work. The first reinforced earth retaining wall with metal strips as
reinforcement in the United States was constructed in 1972 in southern California.
The beneficial effects of soil reinforcement derive from (a) the soils increased tensile
strength and (b) the shear resistance developed from the friction at the soil-reinforcement
interfaces. Such reinforcement is comparable to that of concrete structures. Currently,
most reinforced earth design is done with free-draining granular soil only. Thus the effect
of pore water development in cohesive soils, which, in turn, reduces the shear strength of
the soil, is avoided.
Nonbiodegradable Fabrics
Nonbiodegradable fabrics are generally referred to as geotextiles. Since 1970, the use of
geotextiles in construction has increased tremendously around the world. The fabrics are
usually made from petroleum products-polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene. They
may also be made from fiberglass. Geotextiles are not prepared from natural fabrics
because they decay too quickly. Geotextiles may be woven, knitted, or nonwoven.
Woven geotextiles are made of two sets of parallel filaments or strands of yarn
systematically interlaced to form a planar structure. Knotted geotextiles are formed by
interlocking a series of loops of one or more filaments or strands of yarn to form a planar
structure. Nonwoven geotextiles are formed from filaments or short fibers arranged in an
oriented or random pattern in a planar structure. These filaments or short fibers are, in the
beginning arranged into a loose web. They are then bonded by one or a combination of
the following processes:
1. Chemical bonding-by glue, rubber, latex, cellulose derivative, and the like
2. Thermal bonding-by heat for partial melting of filaments
3. Mechanical bonding-by needle punching
Needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles are thick and have high in plane permeability.
Geotextiles have four primary uses in foundation engineering.
1. Drainage: The fabrics can rapidly channel water from soil to various outlets,
thereby providing a higher soil shear strength and hence stability.
2. Filtration: When placed between two sol layers, one coarse grained and the other
fine grained, the fabric allows free seepage of water from one layer to the other.
Figure 1.45 Geogrids: (a) uniaxial; (b) biaxial (note: 1-longitudinal rib; 2-transverse bar;
3-transverse rib; 4-junction)
The commercial geogrids currently available for soil, reinforcement have nominal rib
thicknesses of about 0.02-0.06 in. (0.5-1.5 mm) and junctions of about 0.1-0.2 in. (2.5-5
mm). The grids used for sol reinforcement usually have apertures that are rectangular or
elliptical in shape. The dimensions of the apertures vary from about 1-6 in. (25-150 mm).
geogrids are manufactured so that the open areas of the grids are greater than 50% of the
total area. They develop reinforcing strength at low strain levels, such as 2% (Carroll,
1988). Table 17 gives some properties of the TENSAR biaxial geogrids currently
available commercially.
BX 1000
BX 1100
BX 1200
1 in. (nominal)
1 in. (nominal)
1 in. (nominal)
70% (minimum)
74% (nominal)
77% (nominal)
Aperture size
Machine direction
Cross-machine
direction
Open area
Junction
Thickness
Tensile modulus
Machine direction
Cross-machine
direction
12,500
(minimum)
lb/ft 14,5000
(minimum)
lb/ft 18,500
(minimum)
lb/ft
12,500
(minimum)
lb/ft 20,000
(minimum)
lb/ft 30,000
(minimum)
lb/ft
Material
Polypropylene
97% (minimum)
99% (nominal)
99% (nominal)
Carbon black
2% (minimum)
1% (nominal)
1% (nominal)