Investigation of Soil Arching with Centrifuge Tests
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 2
Abstract
The classic experiment of a yielding trapdoor in (two-dimensional) plane strain beneath a granular mass is revisited, this time in the high-gravity environment of a geotechnical centrifuge. High-speed acquisition of load and displacement data makes it possible to examine the arching behavior of geomaterials. Results indicate the formation above the trapdoor of a physical arch, which evolves from an initially curved configuration to a triangular shape and ultimately to a prismatic sliding mass with vertical sides. Simple expressions for the reduced load caused by arching are proposed. Predictions using these expressions compare favorably with test measurements, paving the way for potential application to the design of underground structures.
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Acknowledgments
This paper is the last of numerous publications that bear Prof. Robert V. Whitman’s name as an author or coauthor. Prof. Whitman, a world-renowned civil engineer, geotechnical engineer, and earthquake engineering specialist, passed away on February 25, 2012, at the age of 84. His much-acclaimed textbook Soil Mechanics, with Prof. T. W. Lambe, has etched a lasting impact on generations of geotechnical academicians and practitioners. Among his many contributions to civil engineering, Prof. Whitman was one of the first to introduce centrifuge model testing to the U.S. geotechnical community. The civil engineering world will dearly miss Prof. Whitman, to whose memory this paper is wholeheartedly dedicated.
Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The work was performed while the principal author was pursuing his doctorate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The support of the AFOSR and the MIT Department of Civil Engineering is very much appreciated. The authors thank Dr. John T. Germaine, Director of the MIT Geotechnical Laboratory, for valuable contributions to the conduct of the centrifuge experiments. Last, but not least, the authors thank the ASCE journal reviewers of draft versions of this manuscript for insightful comments and suggestions that have essentially enhanced the quality of this publication.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140 • Issue 2 • February 2014
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© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 30, 2012
Accepted: Jul 8, 2013
Published online: Jul 10, 2013
Published in print: Feb 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Apr 15, 2014
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