Suction-Volume Change Indices for Natural and Recompacted Clay Soils
Publication: Geo-Congress 2023
ABSTRACT
The mechanical response of unsaturated soil is controlled by the two stress state variables of matric suction and net normal stress. Modern geotechnical laboratory devices allow for the direct measurement of unsaturated soil volumetric response under controlled conditions of both stress state variables. The oedometer pressure plate device (OPPD) is one apparatus that can impose suction-induced partial wetting conditions under constant or varying vertical stress conditions while measuring vertical deformations. This study brings together three extensive laboratory investigations of the mechanical response of fine-grained soil specimens to variations in both matric suction and net normal stress, which were conducted using a series of OPPDs located at Arizona State University’s Geotechnical Laboratory. The effects of differing soil index properties, sample preparation, and stress path history on the moisture-driven volumetric response is evaluated. A comparison between the suction-volume change indices of reconstituted clay specimens to those of relatively intact clay specimens is also included.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Adem, H. H., and Vanapalli, S. K. (2013). Constitutive modeling approach for estimating 1-D heave with respect to time for expansive soils. International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 7(2), 199–204. https://doi.org/10.1179/1938636213Z.00000000024.
Alonso, E. E. (1993). Constitutive modelling of unsaturated soils, Unsaturated soils: Recent Developments and Applications, Civil Engineering European Courses. Universitat Polit`ecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Alonso, E. E., Gens, A., and Gehling, W. Y. Y. (1994). Elastoplastic model for unsaturated expansive soils. Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Numerical Models in Geotechnical Engineering. 11–18, Rotterdam.
Alonso, E. E., Lloret, A., Gens, A., and Yang, D. Q. (1995). Experimental behaviour of highly expansive double-structure clay, Proceedings of the First International Conference on Unsaturated Soils (UNSAT-95), Paris, pp. 11–16.
Alonso, E. E., Vaunat, J., and Gens, A. (1999). Modelling the mechanical behaviour of expansive clays. Engineering Geology, 54(1-2), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(99)00079-4.
Amer, O. M. I. (2016). Determining Suction Compression Index of Expansive Soils Based on non-linear suction-volumetric strain relationship. PhD Dissertation. Oklahoma State University.
ASTM. (2007). Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2014). Standard test methods for one-dimensional swell or collapse of soils. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
Covar, A., and Lytton, R. (2001). Estimating soil swelling behavior using soil classification properties. Proceedings of Geo-Institute Shallow Foundation and Soil Properties Committee Sessions at the ASCE 2001 Civil Engineering Conference. 44–63. Houston, Texas: ASCE.
Delage, P., and Graham, J. (1996). Mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Unsaturated Soils (UNSAT), 3, 1223–1256, Paris: Balkema.
Delage, P., Romero, E., and Tarantino, A. (2008). Recent developments in the techniques of controlling and measuring suction in unsaturated soils. Proceeedings of the First European Conference on Unsaturated Soils. 33–52. Durham. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.0810.3221.
Fredlund, D., and Houston, D. (2013). Interpretation of SWCCs when volume change occurs as soil suction is changed. 1st Pan-American Conference on Unsaturated Soils, PanAmUNSAT 2013, (pp. 15–31). Cartegena de Indias, Colombia.
Fredlund, D. G., and Morgenstern, N. R. (1976). Constitutive relations for volume change in unsaturated soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 13(3), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1139/t76-029.
Fredlund, D. G., Rahardjo, H., and Fredlund, M. D. (2012). Unsaturated Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ.
Fredlund, D. G., and Pham, H. (2006). A volume-mass constitutive model for unsaturated soils in terms of two independent stress state variables. Proceeedings of the Fourth International Conference on Unsaturated Soils. 105–134. Carefree, AZ. ASCE.
Gens, A., and Alonso, E. E. (1992). A framework for the behaviour of unsaturated expansive clays. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 29(6), 1013–1032. https://doi.org/10.1139/t92-120.
Gens, A., Alonso, E. E., Suriol, J., and Lloret, A. (1995). Effect of structure on the volumetric behaviour of a compacted soil. Proceedings of the First International Conference Unsaturated Soils, UNSAT-95, Paris, Vol. 1, pp. 83–88.
Gens, A., Alonso, E. E., and Delage, A. (1996). Constitutive modelling: application to compacted soils. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Unsaturated Soils (UNSAT). 3, 1179–1200. Paris: Balkema.
GCTS (Geotechnical Consulting and Testing Services). (2007). SWC-150: Fredlund Soil Water Characteristic Device. 1.3. Tempe, AZ.
Hilf, J. W. (1956). An investigation of pore-water pressure in compacted cohesive soils, PhD thesis, Technical Memorandum. No. 654, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Design and Construction Division, Denver, CO.
Houston, S., and Houston, W. (2018). Suction-Oedometer Method for Computation of Heave and Remaining Heave. Proceedings of the 2nd Pan-American Conference on Unsaturated Soils. 93–116. Dallas, TX: ASCE. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784481677.005.
Houston, S., and Zhang, X. (2021). Review of expansive and collapsible soil volume change models within a unified elastoplastic framework. (F. M. T.M.P. Campos, Ed.) Soil and Rocks, 44(3). doi:10.28927/SR.2021.064321.
Justo, J. L., Delgado, A., and Ruiz, J. (1984). The influence of stress-path in the collapse-swelling of soils at the laboratory. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Expansive Soils. 67–71. Adelaide: Institution of Engineers.
Lins, Y., and Schanz, T. (2004). Determination of hydro-mechanical properties of sand. Proceedings from the International Conference “From Experimental Evidence towards Numerical Modeling of Unsaturated Soils,”. 15–31. Weimar, Germany.
Lytton, R., Aubeny, C., and Bulut, R. (2005). Design procedure for pavements on expansive soils. Austin, TX: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Nelson, J. D., Chao, K. C., Overton, D. D., and Nelson, E. J. (2015). Foundation Engineering for Expansive Aoils. New York: Wiley Press. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118996096.
Noorany, I. (2017). Soil tests for prediction of one-dimensional heave and settlement of compacted fills. Proceedings of the 2nd Pan-American Conference on Unsaturated Soils. 90–99. Dallas: ASCE. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784481707.010.
Olaiz, A. H. (2017). Evaluation of testing methods for suction-volume change of natural clay soils. Doctoral dissertation. Arizona State University. Tempe, AZ.
Overton, D. D., Chao, K. C., and Nelson, J. D. (2006). Time rate of heave prediction for expansive soils. GeoCongress 2006: Geotechnical Engineering in the Information Technology Age. 1–6. Atlanta: ASCE. https://doi.org/10.1061/40803(187)162.
Perez-Garcia, N., Houston, S. L., Houston, W. N., and Padilla, J. M. (2007). An Oedometer-Type Pressure Plate SWCC Apparatus. Geotechnical Testing Journal. 31(2). ASTM.
Pham, H., and Frendlund, D. (2011). A volume-mass volume–mass unsaturated soil constitutive model for drying-wetting under isotropic loading-unloading conditions. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 48, 280–313. Ottawa, Canada.
PTI (Post-Tensioning Institute). (2008). Design & construction of post-tensioned slabs-on-ground, 3rd edition. Post Tensioning Institute, Phoenix.
Rosenbalm, D. C. (2013). Volume change behavior of compacted expansive soil due to wetting and drying cycles. Ph.D. Dissertation, Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ.
Sheng, D., Fredlund, D. G., and Gens, A. (2008a). A new modelling approach for unsaturated soils using independent stress variables. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 45(4), 511–534. https://doi.org/10.1139/T07-112.
Singhal, S. (2010). Expansive soil behavior: property measurement techniques and heave prediction methods. PhD Dissertation, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
Tu, H. (2015). Prediction of the variation of swelling pressure and 1-D heave of expansive soils with respect to suction. Thesis, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). (1999). Soil taxonomy. 2nd ed., Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.
Vann, J. (2019). A soil suction-oedometer method and design soil suction profile recommendations for estimation of volume change of expansive soils. Ph.D. dissertation. State University. Tempe, AZ.
Vu, H. Q., and Fredlund, D. G. (2000). Volume change predictions in expansive soils using a two-dimensional finite element method, Proceedings of the Asian Conference in Unsaturated Soils, UNSAT ASIA 2000, Singapore, pp. 231–236.
Vu, H. Q., and Fredlund, D. G. (2004). The prediction of one-, two-, three-dimensional heave in expansive soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 41, 713–737. Ottawa, Canada. https://doi.org/10.1139/T04-023.
Wray, W. K., El-Garhy, B. M., and Youssef, A. A. (2005). Three-dimensional model for moisture and volume changes prediction in expansive soils. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 131(3), 311–324. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2005)131:3(311).
Wheeler, S. J., and Sivakumar, V. (1995). An elasto-plastic critical state framework for unsaturated soil, Geotechnique, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 35–53.
Zapata, C., Houston, W., Houston, S., and Walsh, K. (2000). Soil-water characteristic curve variability. Advances in Unsaturated Geotechnics, 99, 84–124.
Zapata, C., Houston, S., Houston, W., and Dye, H. (2006). Expansion Index and Its Relationship with Other Index Properties. Proceeedings of the Fourth International Conference on Unsaturated Soils. 2133–2137. Carefree, AZ. ASCE.
Zhang, X., and Lytton, R. L. (2009a). Modified state-surface approach to the study of unsaturated soil behavior. Part I: basic concept. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 46(5), 536–552. https://doi.org/10.1139/T08-136.
Zhang, X., and Lytton, R. L. (2009b). Modified state-surface approach to the study of unsaturated soil behavior. Part II: general formulation. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 46(5), 553–570. https://doi.org/10.1139/T08-137.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2023
Pages: 681 - 692
History
Published online: Mar 23, 2023
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.