Shear Strength Characteristics of Frozen Fine Sands under Direct Shear Testing Conditions
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22, Issue 2
Abstract
Geomechanical properties such as shear strength, stiffness, and compressibility of soils subjected to subzero temperatures are of utmost importance for executing various projects related to infrastructure development and harnessing sustainable energy in cold regions. In this context, earlier researchers have employed sophisticated equipment such as triaxial equipment to establish these properties of the fine sands, which turns out to be quite expensive. To overcome this, a suitably modified low-cost temperature-controlled direct shear box apparatus has been fabricated. The setup’s utility and efficacy have been demonstrated by investigating the influence of the volumetric ice content, rate of shearing, and vertical stress on shear strength characteristics of the fine sands in their frozen state. In addition, the effect of (1) postfreezing shearing and the (2) confined-state freezing and shearing, the two methodologies that are generally adopted by earlier researchers on shear strength characteristics, have also been studied. Based on the extensive testing, it has been demonstrated that for frozen fine sands, the cohesion, secant modulus, and dilation angle increase with an increase in the rate of shearing and the volumetric ice content, and these variations can be expressed by power laws.
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Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- A
- cross-sectional area;
- C
- volumetric heat capacity;
- c
- cohesion;
- D50
- mean grain size;
- DSBTemp
- temperature-controlled direct shear box;
- emax
- maximum void ratio;
- emin
- minimum void ratio;
- Gsec
- secant shear modulus;
- Gs
- specific gravity;
- T
- temperature;
- t
- time;
- tf
- freezing time;
- rate of sharing;
- δh
- horizontal deformation;
- δv
- vertical deformation;
- ɛh
- horizontal strain;
- ɛr
- relative permittivity;
- ɛr,eff
- effective dielectric permittivity;
- ɛv
- volumetric strain;
- θi
- volumetric ice content;
- θuw
- unfrozen water content;
- initial water content;
- κ
- thermal conductivity;
- ρd
- dry density;
- ρi
- density of ice;
- ρw
- density of water;
- σ
- confining pressure;
- σv
- vertical stress;
- τ
- shear stress;
- τp
- peak shear strength;
- ϕ
- friction angle; and
- ψ
- dilation angle.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22 • Issue 2 • February 2022
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 3, 2021
Accepted: Aug 23, 2021
Published online: Nov 22, 2021
Published in print: Feb 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Apr 22, 2022
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