The Mechanical Aging of Soils
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 117, Issue 9
Abstract
Soils age. Their engineering properties often improve significantly during aging times of practical interest to engineers. This paper provides examples from research and practice. It includes a review of the triaxial IDS test, followed by examples of its use to investigate the question of whether the aging improvements result from frictional or cohesive effects. Contrary to most current thinking, the soil stiffening and strengthening appears entirely frictional in effect. The aging effects described appear mechanical, resulting from dispersive particle movements and internal stress arching under drained conditions. The paper concludes with suggestions for using these mechanical aging effects in practice.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Anderson, D. G., and Woods, R. D. (1976). “Time‐dependent increase in shear modulus of clay.” J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., 102(5), 525–537.
2.
Barton, M. E., Palmer, S. N., and Wong, Y. L. (1986). “A geotechnical investigation of two Hampshire tertiary sand beds—Are they locked sands?.” Q. J. Engrg. Geol., London, U.K., 19, 399–412.
3.
Barton, M. E., and Palmer, S. N. (1989). “The relative density of geologically aged British fine and fine‐medium sands.” Q. J. Engrg. Geol., London, U.K., 22, 49–59.
4.
Bazaraa, A. (1967). “Use of standard penetration test for estimating settlements of shallow foundations on sand,” thesis presented to the University of Illinois, at Urbana‐Champaign, Illinois, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
5.
Bea, R. G. (1960). “An experimental study of cohesion and friction during creep in saturated clay,” thesis presented to the University of Florida, at Gainesville, Florida, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering.
6.
Bjerrum, L. (1972). “Embankments on soft ground.” Performance of earth and earth supported structures, ASCE, Vol. II, Purdue Univ., Lafayette, Ind., 21.
7.
Daramola, O. (1980). “Effect of consolidation age on stiffness of sand.” Geotechnique, June, 214.
8.
DeCourt, L. (1989). “The standard penetration test, state‐of‐the‐art‐report.” 12th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 1–12.
9.
Denisov, N. Y., Duranti, E. A., and Khazanov, M. I. (1963). “Studies of changes of strength and compressibility of hydraulically filled sands in time.” Proc., European Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 1, Wiesbaden, Germany, 221–225.
10.
Dusseault, M. B., and Morgenstern, N. R. (1979). “Locked sands.” Q. J. Engrg. Geol., 12, 117–131.
11.
Eide, O., and Holmberg, S. (1972). “Test fills to failure on the soft Bangkok clay.” Performance of earth and earth supported structures., ASCE, Purdue Univ., Lafayette, Ind., I(1), 163.
12.
“Embankment bolsters an old dam.” (1989). Engrg. News Rec, Sep. 28, 31.
13.
Fellenius, B. H., Riker, R. E., O'Brien, A. J., and Tracy, G. R. (1989). “Dynamic and static testing in soil exhibiting set‐up.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 115(7), 1000.
14.
Gibbs, H. J., and Holtz, W. G. (1957). “Research on determining the density of sands by spoon penetration testing.” Proc., Fourth ICSMFE, London, U.K., 1, 35–39.
15.
Hansbo, S., Jamiolkowski, M., and Kok, L. (1981). “Consolidation by vertical drains.” Geotechnique, Mar., 45–66.
16.
Hanzawa, H. (1983). “Undrained strength characteristics of normally consolidated aged clay.” Soils and foundations, (Japan), 23(3), 39–49.
17.
Hardin, B. O., Richart, F. E., Jr. (1963). “Elastic wave velocities in granular soils.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div., ASCE, Feb., 33–65.
18.
Ho, K.‐H. (1971). “Theoretical and experimental relationships between stress dilatancy and IDS strength components,” thesis presented to the University of Florida, at Gainesville, Florida, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
19.
Karlsrud, K., and Haugen, T. (1986). “Axial static capacity of steel model piles in overconsolidated clay.” Bull. No. 163, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway, 3.
20.
Kehoe, S. P. (1989). “An analysis of time effects on the bearing capacity of driven piles.” Report, Department of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, spring.
21.
Ladd, C. C. (1964). “Stress‐strain modulus of clay in undrained shear.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, Sep., 140.
22.
Lambe, T. W. (1953). “The structure of inorganic soil.” Proc, ASCE, 79(315), 1–49.
23.
Larsson, R., and Eskilson, S. (1989a). “Dilatometerforsok i lera.” Report No. 243, Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Linköping, Sweden (in Swedish).
24.
Larsson, R., and Eskilson, S. (1989b). “Dilatometerforsok i organisk jord.” Report 259, Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Linköping, Sweden (in Swedish).
25.
Leonards, G. A., and Ramiah, B. K. (1960). “Time effects in the consolidation of clays.” STP 254, ASTM, Philadelphia, Pa., 116–130.
26.
Leonards, G. A., and Altschaeffl, A. G. (1964). “Compressibility of clay.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., 90(5), Sep., 133.
27.
Leonards, G. A. (1972). General discussion of Session III, ASCE Performance of Earth and Earth‐Supported Structures, Purdue Univ., Lafayette, Ind., III, 169–173.
28.
Long, L. G. (1980). “Comparison of field and laboratory dynamic soil properties,” thesis presented to the University of Texas, at Austin, Tex., in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.
29.
Lukas, R. G. (1986). “Dynamic compaction for highway construction, Vol. I: Design and construction guidelines.” FHWA/RD‐86/133, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., Jul., 93–97.
30.
Marcuson, W. F., III, and Bieganousky, W. A. (1977). “SPT and relative density in coarse sands.” J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., ASCE, Nov., 1295–1309.
31.
Mesri, G., Feng, T. W., and Benak, J. M. (1990). “Postdensification penetration resistance of clean sands.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 116(7), 1095–1115.
32.
Mitchell, J. K. (1960). “Fundamental aspects of thixotropy in soils.” J. Soil Mech. and Found Engrg. Div., ASCE, 86(3), 19–52.
33.
Mitchell, J. K. (1976). Fundamentals of soil behavior. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1–210.
34.
Mitchell, J. K., and Solymar, Z. V. (1984). “Time‐dependent strength gain in freshly deposited or densified sand.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 110(11), 1559–1576.
35.
Mitchell, J. K. (1986). “Practical problems from surprising soil behavior.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 112(3), 259–289.
36.
Osterman, J. (1960). “Notes on the shearing resistance of soft clays.” Acta Polytechnica Scandinavica, Stockholm, Sweden, Ci 2, (263/1959).
37.
Palmer, S. N., and Barton, M. E. (1987). “Porosity reduction, microfabric and resultant lithification in UK on uncemented sands.” Geological Society Special Publication, 36, J. D. Marshall, Ed., Diagensis of sedimentary sequences, 29–40.
38.
Peck, R. B., and Bazaraa, A. (1969). Discussion of “Settlement of spread footings on sand,” by D. D'Appolonia et al., J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, May, 905–909.
39.
Perloff, W. H., and Baron, W. (1976). Soil mechanics principles and applications. John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y., 240.
40.
“Pile Group Prediction Symposium: Summary, Vol. II, Clay Soil.” (1987). Publication No. FHWA‐TS‐87‐222, Oct., Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., 41.
41.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1962). “Comparisons of one and two‐specimen CFS tests.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., 88(6), 169–205.
42.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1964). “Generalizing and measuring the Hvorslev effective components of shear resistance.” Symp. on Laboratory Shear Testing of Soils, STP 361, ASTM, Philadelphia, Pa., 147–162.
43.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1976). “The shear behavior of soil at constant structure.” Bjerrum Memorial Volume, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway, 65–98.
44.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1981). “A general time‐related soil friction increase phenomenon.” SPT 740, ASTM, Philadelphia, Pa., 456–484.
45.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1983). “A simple question about consolidation.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 109(1), 119–122.
46.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1987). Discussion of “Time‐dependent strength gain in freshly deposited or densified sand,” by J. Mitchell and Z. V. Solymar, J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 113(2), 173–175.
47.
Schmertmann, J. H., and Osterberg, J. O. (1961). “An experimental study of the development of cohesion and friction with axial strain in saturated cohesive soils.” Research Conference on Shear Strength of Cohesive Soils, ASCE, Boulder, Colo., 643–694.
48.
Schmertmann, J. H., Baker, F., Gupta, R., and Kessler, K. (1986). “CPT/DMT QC of ground modification at a power plant.” Proc., Geotechnical Special Publication No. 6, ASCE, 985–1001.
49.
Seed, H. B. (1979). “Soil liquefaction and cyclic mobility of evaluation for level ground during earthquakes.” J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., ASCE, 105(2), 201–255.
50.
Seed, H. B., McNeill, R. L., and de Guenin, J. (1958). “Clay strength increase caused by repeating loading.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, May, 618.
51.
Skempton, A. W. (1954). “The pore‐pressure coefficients A and B.” Geotechnique, Dec., 143–147.
52.
Skempton, A. W. (1986). “Standard penetration test procedures and the effects in sands of overburden pressure, relative density, particle size, ageing and overconsolidation.” Geotechnique, Sep., 438.
53.
Stokoe, K. H., II, and Richart, F. E., Jr. (1973). “Insitu and laboratory shear wave velocities.” Proc. of the Eighth Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Moscow, USSR, 1(2), 403–409.
54.
Tavenas, F., and Audy, R. (1972). “Limitations of the driving formulas for predicting the bearing capacities of piles in sand.” Can. Geotech. J., 9(97), 60.
55.
Yasuhara, K., and Ue, S. (1983). “Increase in undrained shear strength due to secondary compression.” Soils and Foundations, (Japan), 23(3), 50–64.
56.
Zeevaert, L. (1983). Foundation engineering for difficult subsoil conditions. Second Ed., Van Nostran Reinhold Company, 54.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 117 • Issue 9 • September 1991
Pages: 1288 - 1330
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 ASCE.
History
Published online: Sep 1, 1991
Published in print: Sep 1991
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.