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Prediction of the unconfined compressive strength of compacted granular soils by using inference systems

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and artificial neural network (ANN) models have been extensively used to predict different soil properties in geotechnical applications. In this study, it was aimed to develop ANFIS and ANN models to predict the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of compacted soils. For this purpose, 84 soil samples with different grain-size distribution compacted at optimum water content were subjected to the unconfined compressive tests to determine their UCS values. Many of the test results (for 64 samples) were used to train the ANFIS and the ANN models, and the rest of the experimental results (for 20 samples) were used to predict the UCS of compacted samples. To train these models, the clay content, fine silt content, coarse silt content, fine sand content, middle sand content, coarse sand content, and gravel content of the total soil mass were used as input data for these models. The UCS values of compacted soils were output data in these models. The ANFIS model results were compared with those of the ANN model and it was seen that the ANFIS model results were very encouraging. Consequently, the results of this study have important findings indicating reliable and simple prediction tools for the UCS of compacted soils.

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Acknowledgments

The laboratory study of this research was carried out in the Soil Mechanics Laboratory of Civil Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty of Ataturk University. So, the authors thank the authorities of the Civil Engineering Department.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oltu Vocational Training School, Ataturk University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey

    Ekrem Kalkan

  2. Civil Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Ataturk University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey

    Suat Akbulut, Ahmet Tortum & Samet Celik

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  1. Ekrem Kalkan
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  2. Suat Akbulut
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  3. Ahmet Tortum
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  4. Samet Celik
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Correspondence to Ekrem Kalkan.

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Kalkan, E., Akbulut, S., Tortum, A. et al. Prediction of the unconfined compressive strength of compacted granular soils by using inference systems. Environ Geol 58, 1429–1440 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1645-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1645-x

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