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Identification of the behavior of sandy soil to static liquefaction and microtomography

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Abstract

In this paper, undrained triaxial compression tests were performed on specimens obtained in Oued Rass sand (Chlef, Algeria). The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of specimen deposition methods, the initial density, and the confining pressure on the undrained behavior of this sand. The test results show that the initial confining pressure and the relative density affected, in a significant manner, the resistance to liquefaction. However, it increases with confining pressure and relative density. The results also show that the specimens prepared by dry deposition method have a greater resistance to liquefaction than those prepared by moist tamping. A nondestructive comparative analysis of the deposits by X-ray microtomography carried out at the granular scale made it possible to characterize more precisely the difference of the obtained structures for the two deposition modes.

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Abbreviations

RD (%):

Relative density

D 10 (mm):

Effective diameter

D 50 (mm):

Mean grain size

e :

Void ratio

e c :

Void ratio after consolidation

e max :

Maximum void ratio

e min :

Minimum void ratio

C u :

Coefficient of uniformity (C u  = D 60/D 10)

C c :

Coefficient of curvature (C c  = (D 30)2/(D 60 × D 10))

ρ s (g/cm3):

Specific density of the solid grains

ρ dmax (g/cm3):

Maximum density of the solid grains

ρ dmin (g/cm3):

Minimum density of the solid grains

q(kPa):

Deviator stress (q = σ′1 − σ′3)

p′(kPa):

Effective mean stress (p′ = (σ' 1 + 2σ′3)/3)

σ′1 (kPa):

Major principal effective stress

σ′3 (kPa):

Minor effective stress

Δu (kPa):

Excess pore pressure

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Saad Dahlab of Blida, B.P.270, Route de Soumâa, Blida, Algeria

    Abdellah Krim & Zein el Abidine Zitouni

  2. Laboratory of Materials Sciences and Environment, University Hassiba Benbouali of Chlef, Chlef, Algeria

    Ahmed Arab & Belkhatir Mostéfa

Authors
  1. Abdellah Krim
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  2. Zein el Abidine Zitouni
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  3. Ahmed Arab
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  4. Belkhatir Mostéfa
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Correspondence to Ahmed Arab.

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Krim, A., el Abidine Zitouni, Z., Arab, A. et al. Identification of the behavior of sandy soil to static liquefaction and microtomography. Arab J Geosci 6, 2211–2224 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0534-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0534-5

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