Stress-Strain Response and Dilatancy of Sandy Gravel in Triaxial Compression and Plane Strain
This article has been corrected.
VIEW CORRECTIONPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 4
Abstract
The strength and stress-dilatancy of uniform sands has been studied extensively in geotechnical investigations, and practitioners can draw on a wealth of previously reported data for the estimation of their volumetric response. However, the suitability of accepted stress-dilatancy theory and empiricism has not been evaluated for well-graded gravelly soils. Axisymmetric, isotropically consolidated drained compression, and pure shear, plane strain quasi- consolidated drained tests were performed on well-graded Kanaskat gravel using confining pressures ranging over three orders of magnitude to determine its stiffness, strength, and stress-dilatancy response. The plane strain stiffness, strength, and stress-dilatancy of Kanaskat gravel is observed from tests performed using a large cubical true-triaxial device with flexible bladders. The observed response is interpreted with a view of experimental boundary conditions and their impact on the volumetric response. The observed plane strain shear modulus and friction, and dilation angles of well-graded sandy gravel soils commonly used in practice are significantly higher than those measured in the triaxial compression stress path. Existing empirical and modified stress-dilatancy expressions proposed for low confining pressures underestimate the observed dilation response; however, another common empirical approach appears to adequately capture the dilatancy. The data reported herein should help practitioners estimate plane strain behavior of sandy gravel mixtures.
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Acknowledgments
The material presented herein was supported by the National Science Foundation through Grant Number CMMI 1100903 under Program Director Dr. Richard Fragaszy, and is greatly appreciated. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this study are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The donation of Kanskat gravel from the Watson Asphalt Paving Company, Inc., of Redmond, Washington is gratefully appreciated. The X-ray diffraction studies were performed with significant support of Dr. John Dilles of Oregon State University. The authors thank Dr. Matthew Evans of Oregon State University for helpful discussions of this work, as well as the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 4 • April 2016
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© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Nov 18, 2014
Accepted: Sep 17, 2015
Published online: Dec 22, 2015
Published in print: Apr 1, 2016
Discussion open until: May 22, 2016
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