Large-Scale Triaxial Experiments on the Creep Behavior of a Saturated Rockfill Material
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 7
Abstract
Large-scale triaxial compression and creep experiments were conducted with a saturated limestone rockfill material. The relationships between dilatancy ratio and stress ratio during loading and creeping were analyzed. It was found that the dilatancy ratio during both loading and creeping decreased nonlinearly when the stress ratio increased. In addition, the positive dilatancy ratio was considerably higher in creep than in vertical loading under the same stress state. Experimental data also showed that creep strains evolve linearly with the logarithm of time after a certain period, and both the final amounts of creep strains at the end of experiments and their rates are influenced by the stress states. A higher confining pressure and higher deviatoric stress lead to larger creep strains and higher strain rates. Empirical equations relating the final amounts of creep strains and their rates to the stress states are suggested.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the national Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Grant Nos. 51379130 and 51679149. Financial support from the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) Grant No. 201501035 was also greatly appreciated.
References
Alonso, E. E., S. Olivella, and N. M. Pinyol. 2005. “A review of Beliche Dam.” Géotechnique 55 (4): 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2005.55.4.267.
Alonso, E. E., E. E. Romero, and E. Ortega. 2016. “Yielding of rockfill in relative humidity-controlled triaxial experiments.” Acta Geotech. 11 (3): 455–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-016-0437-9.
Augustesen, A., M. Liingaard, and P. V. Lade. 2004. “Evaluation of time-dependent behavior of soils.” Int. J. Geomech. 4 (3): 137–156. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2004)4:3(137).
Been, K., and M. Jefferies. 2004. “Stress-dilatancy in very loose sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 41 (5): 972–989. https://doi.org/10.1139/t04-038.
Charles, J. A., and K. S. Watts. 1980. “The influence of confining pressure on the shear strength of compacted rockfill.” Géotechnique 30 (4): 353–367. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1980.30.4.353.
Cheng, Z. L., and H. S. Ding. 2004. “Creep test for rockfill.” [In Chinese.] Chinese J. Geotech. Eng. 26 (4): 473–476.
Clayton, C. R. I. 2011. “Stiffness at small strain: Research and practice.” Géotechnique 61 (1): 5–37. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2011.61.1.5.
Clements, R. P. 1984. “Post-construction deformation of rockfill dams.” J. Geotech. Eng. 110 (7): 821–840. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1984)110:7(821).
Dolezalova, M., and I. Hladik. 2011. “Constitutive models for simulation of field performance of dams.” Int. J. Geomech. 11 (6): 477–489. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000039.
Frossard, E., W. Hu, C. Dano, and P. Y. Hicher. 2012. “Rockfill shear strength evaluation: A rational method based on size effects.” Géotechnique 62 (5): 415–427. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.10.P.079.
Fu, Z. Z., S. S. Chen, and S. H. Liu. 2012. “Hypoplastic constitutive modelling of the wetting induced creep of rockfill materials.” Sci. China Tech. Sci. 55 (7): 2066–2082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-012-4835-4.
Fu, Z. Z., S. S. Chen, and C. Peng. 2014. “Modeling cyclic behavior of rockfill materials in a framework of generalized plasticity.” Int. J. Geomech. 14 (2): 191–204. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000302.
Hu, W., C. Dano, P. Y. Hicher, J. Y. L. Touzo, F. Derkx, and E. Merliot. 2011. “Effect of sample size on the behavior of granular materials.” Geotech. Test. J. 34 (3): 186–197. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ103095.
Hunter, G., and R. Fell. 2003. “Rockfill modulus and settlement of concrete face rockfill dams.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 129 (10): 909–917. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2003)129:10(909).
Indraratna, B., L. S. S. Wijewardena, and A. S. Balasubramaniam. 1993. “Large-scale triaxial testing of greywacke rockfill.” Géotechnique 43 (1): 37–51. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1993.43.1.37.
Jardine, R. J., M. J. Symes, and J. B. Burland. 1984. “The measurement of soil stiffness in the triaxial apparatus.” Géotechnique 34 (3): 323–340. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1984.34.3.323.
Karimpour, H., and P. V. Lade. 2010. “Time effects relate to crushing in sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (9): 1209–1219. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000335.
Karimpour, H., and P. V. Lade. 2013. “Creep behavior in Virginia Beach sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 50 (11): 1159–1178. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2012-0467.
Kolymbas, D. 2000. Introduction to hypoplasticity, advances in geotechnical engineering and tunneling. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema.
Kong, X. J., J. M. Liu, D. G. Zou, and H. B. Liu. 2016. “Stress-dilatancy relationship of Zipingpu gravel under cyclic loading in triaxial stress states.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (4): 04016001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000584.
Kuwano, R., and R. J. Jardine. 2002. “On measuring creep behaviour in granular materials through triaxial testing.” Can. Geotech. J. 39 (5): 1061–1074. https://doi.org/10.1139/t02-059.
Kwok, C. Y., and M. D. Bolton. 2013. “DEM simulations of soil creep due to particle crushing.” Géotechnique 63 (16): 1365–1376. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.11.P.089.
Lade, P. V., C. D. Liggio, and J. Nam. 2009. “Strain rate, creep and stress drop-creep experiments on crushed coral sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 135 (7): 941–953. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000067.
Lade, P. V., and C. T. Liu. 1998. “Experimental study of drained creep behavior of sand.” J. Eng. Mech. 124 (8): 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(1998)124:8(912).
Li, X. S., and Y. F. Dafalias. 2000. “Dilatancy for cohesionless soils.” Géotechnique 50 (4): 449–460. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2000.50.4.449.
Liingaard, M., A. Augustesen, and P. V. Lade. 2004. “Characterization of models for time-dependent behavior of soils.” Int. J. Geomech. 4 (3): 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2004)4:3(157).
Marachi, N. D. 1969. “Strength and deformation characteristics of rockfill materials.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of California.
Mitchell, J. M., and K. Soga. 2014. Fundamentals of soil behavior. 3rd ed. New Delhi, India: Wiley.
Oldecop, L. A., and E. E. Alonso. 2001. “A model for rockfill compressibility.” Géotechnique 51 (2): 127–139. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2001.51.2.127.
Oldecop, L. A., and E. E. Alonso. 2007. “Theoretical investigation of the time-dependent behaviour of rockfill.” Géotechnique 57 (3): 289–301. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2007.57.3.289.
Ovalle, C., C. Dano, P. Y. Hicher, and M. Cisternas. 2015. “Experimental framework for evaluating the mechanical behavior of dry and wet crushable granular materials based on the particle breakage ratio.” Can. Geotech. J. 52 (5): 587–598. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2014-0079.
Pradhan, T. B. S., F. Tatsuoka, and Y. Sato. 1989. “Experimental stress-dilatancy relations of sand subjected to cyclic loading.” Soils Found. 29 (1): 45–64. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1972.29.45.
Rosco, K. H., and J. B. Burland. 1968. “On generalized stress strain behavior of wet clay.” In Engineering plasticity, edited by J. Heyman and F. A. Leckie, 535–609. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Schofiled, A., and P. Wroth. 1968. Critical state soil mechanics. London: McGraw-Hill.
Scholey, G. K., J. D. Frost, D. C. F. Presti, and M. Jamiolkowski. 1995. “A review of instrumentation for measuring small strains during triaxial testing of soil specimens.” Geotech. Test. J. 18 (2): 137–156. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10318J.
Tapias, M., E. E. Alonso, and J. Gili. 2015. “A particle model for rockfill behavior.” Géotechnique 65 (12): 975–994. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.14.P.170.
Varadarajan, A., K. G. Sharma, K. Venkatachalam, and A. K. Gupta. 2003. “Testing and modeling two rockfill materials.” J Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 129 (3): 206–218. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2003)129:3(206).
Xiao, Y., H. L. Liu, Y. M. Chen, and J. Chu. 2014a. “Influence of intermediate principal stress on the strength and dilatancy behavior of rockfill material.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 140 (11): 04014064. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001178.
Xiao, Y., H. L. Liu, Y. M. Chen, and J. S. Jiang. 2014b. “Strength and deformation of rockfill material based on large-scale triaxial compression tests. I: Influences of density and pressure.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 140 (12): 04014070. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001176.
Xiao, Y., H. L. Liu, Y. M. Chen, and W. G. Zhang. 2014c. “Particle size effects in granular soils under true triaxial conditions.” Géotechnique 64 (8): 667–672. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.14.T.002.
Xiao, Y., H. L. Liu, Y. M. Chen, and W. G. Zhang. 2016a. “Strength and dilatancy behavior of dense modeled rockfill material in general stress space.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (5): 04016015. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000645.
Xiao, Y., H. L. Liu, C. S. Desai, Y. F. Sun, and H. Liu. 2016b. “Effect of intermediate principal stress ratio on particle breakage of rockfill material.” J Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 142 (4): 06015017. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001433.
Yasuda, N., and N. Matsumoto. 1994. “Comparisons of deformation characteristics of rockfill materials using monotonic and cyclic loading laboratory tests and in situ tests.” Can. Geotech. J. 31 (2): 162–174. https://doi.org/10.1139/t94-022.
Zhang, B. Y., T. Chen, C. Peng, X. X. Qian, and Y. X. Jie. 2017. “Experimental study on loading-creep coupling effect in rockfill material.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (9): 04017059. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000938.
Zhang, B. Y., J. G. Wang, and R. F. Shi. 2004. “Time-dependent deformation in high concrete-faced rockfill dam and separation between concrete face slab and cushion layer.” Comp. Geotech. 31 (7): 559–573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2004.07.004.
Zhou, W., J. J. Hua, and X. L. Chang. 2011. “Settlement analysis of the Shuibuya concrete-face rockfill dam.” Comp. Geotech. 38 (2): 269–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2010.10.004.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 20, 2017
Accepted: Jan 10, 2018
Published online: May 3, 2018
Published in print: Jul 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Oct 3, 2018
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.