Technical Papers
Mar 8, 2018

Uncertainties in Modeling Undrained Shear Strength of Sensitive Clays Using Finite-Element Method

Publication: ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering
Volume 4, Issue 2

Abstract

The present paper deals with uncertainties related to modeling undrained shear strength of soft sensitive clays using finite-element effective stress–based soil models. Two effective stress soil models, the isotropic Soft Soil and the anisotropic S-CLAY1S models, are used in this study. The performance of the two models is evaluated by comparing the simulated undrained shear strength, resulting from undrained stress paths, to an existing multivariate database of undrained shear strength data points from 24 test sites from Finland. Finite-element model parameters are derived from existing correlations based on basic clay properties. Furthermore, the modeled data points are compared with the undrained shear strength predicted by some existing correlations for Scandinavian clays. Bias and uncertainties of the simulated data points associated with the multivariate database and the correlations are calculated. The results presented appear to be satisfactory, considering that the finite-element input parameters are based on soil plasticity and consolidation stresses.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

Bjerrum, L. (1972). “Embankments on soft ground.” Proc., ASCE, Specialty Conf. on Performance of Earth and Earth-Supported Structures, Vol. 2, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN, 1–54.
Bjerrum, L. (1973). “Problems of soil mechanics and construction on soft clays. State-of-the-art report.” Proc., 8th ICSMFE, Vol. 3, ISSMGE, Moscow, 111–159.
Bjerrum, L., and Simons, N. E. (1960). “Comparison of shear strength characteristics of normally consolidated clays.” ASCE RCSSCS, Boulder, CO, 711–726.
CEN (European Committee for Standardization). (2004). “Geotechnical design. I: General rules.” EN 1997-1, Brussels, Belgium.
Chandler, R. J. (1988). “The in-situ measurement of the undrained shear strength of clays using the field vane.” Vane shear strength testing in soils: field and laboratory studies, ASTM, Philadelphia, 13–44.
Chen, R. H., and Chameau, J. L. (1983). “Three-dimensional limit equilibrium analysis of slopes.” Géotechnique, 33(1), 31–40.
Ching, J., and Phoon, K. K. (2014). “Correlations among some clay parameters—The multivariate distribution.” Can. Geotech. J., 51(6), 686–704.
D’Ignazio, M. (2016). “Undrained shear strength of Finnish clays for stability analyses of embankments.” Ph.D. thesis, Tampere Univ. of Technology, Tampere, Finland.
D’Ignazio, M., Phoon, K. K., Tan, S. A., and Länsivaara, T. T. (2016). “Correlations for undrained shear strength of Finnish soft clays.” Can. Geotech. J., 53(10), 1628–1645.
Griffiths, D. V., and Lane, P. A. (1999). “Slope stability analysis by finite elements.” Géotechnique, 49(3), 387–403.
Jaky, J. (1944). “The coefficient of earth pressure at rest.” J. Soc. Hungarian Architects Eng., 78(22), 355–358.
Jamiolkowski, M., Ladd, C. C., Germain, J. T., and Lancellotta, R. (1985). “New developments in field and laboratory testing of soils.” Proc., 11th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 1, ISSMGE, San Francisco, 57–153.
Janbu, N. (1985). “Soil models in offshore engineering.” Géotechnique, 35(3), 241–281.
Karlsrud, K., and Hernandez-Martinez, F. G. (2013). “Strength and deformation properties of Norwegian clays from laboratory tests on high-quality block samples.” Can. Geotech. J., 50(12), 1273–1293).
Karstunen, M., Krenn, H., Wheeler, S. J., Koskinen, M., and Zentar, R. (2005). “Effect of anisotropy and destructuration on the behavior of Murro test embankment.” Int. J. Geomech., 87–97.
Karstunen, M., and Yin, Z. Y. (2010). “Modelling time-dependent behaviour of Murro test embankment.” Géotechnique, 60(10), 735–749.
Kulhawy, F. H., and Mayne, P. W. (1990). “Manual on estimating soil properties for foundation design.”, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY.
Larsson, R., Sällfors, G., Bengtsson, P. E., Alén, C., Bergdahl, U., and Eriksson, L. (2007). Skjuvhällfasthet: utvärdering I kohesionsjord, 2nd Ed., Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Linköping, Sweden.
Leoni, M., Karstunen, M., and Vermeer, P. (2008). “Anisotropic creep model for soft soils.” Géotechnique, 58(3), 215–226.
Mansikkamäki, J. (2015). “Effective stress finite element stability analysis of an old railway embankment on soft clay.” Ph.D. thesis, Tampere Univ. of Technology, Tampere, Finland.
Mansikkämaki, J., and Länsivaara, T. (2010). “Analysis of a full scale failure test on old railway embankment.” Proc., 7th European Conf. on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering, Taylor & Francis, London, 541–545.
Mesri, G. (1989). “A re-evaluation of Su(mob) = 0.22σ’p using laboratory shear tests.” Can. Geotech. J., 26(1), 162–164.
Mitchell, J. K. (1976). Fundamentals of soil behavior, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.
Phoon, K. K., and Kulhawy, F. H. (1999). “Characterization of geotechnical variability.” Can. Geotech. J., 36(4), 612–624.
Phoon, K. K., and Kulhawy, F. H. (2005). “Characterization of model uncertainties for laterally loaded rigid drilled shafts.” Géotechnique, 55(1), 45–54.
Phoon, K. K., Kulhawy, F. H., and Grigoriu, M. D. (1995). “Reliability-based foundation design for transmission line structures.”, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA.
Phoon, K. K., and Tang, C. (2015a). “Model uncertainty for the capacity of strip footings under positive combined loading.” Geotechnical safety and reliability: Honoring Wilson H. Tang, ASCE, Reston, VA, 40–60.
Phoon, K. K., and Tang, C. (2015b). “Model uncertainty for the capacity of strip footings under negative and general combined loading.” Proc., 12th Int. Conf. on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Civil Engineering, International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Plaxis. (2016). PLAXIS material models manual, Delft, Netherlands.
Rantamäki, M., Jaaskelainen, R., and Tammirinne, M. (2009). Geotekniikka [Geotechnics], Otatieto, Helsinki, Finland, 301 (in Finnish).
Selänpää, J., Di Buò, B., Länsivaara, T., and D’Ignazio, M. (2017). “Problems related to field vane testing in soft soil conditions and improved reliability of measurements using an innovative field vane device.” Landslides in sensitive clays, Springer, Netherlands, 109–119.
Tang, C., and Phoon, K. K. (2016). “Model uncertainty of cylindrical shear method for calculating the uplift capacity of helical anchors in clay.” Eng. Geol., 207, 14–23.
Tang, C., and Phoon, K. K. (2017). “Model uncertainty of Eurocode 7 approach for bearing capacity of circular footings on dense sand.” Int. J. Geomech., 04016069.
Tang, C., Phoon, K. K., Zhang, L., and Li, D.-Q. (2017). “Model uncertainty for predicting the bearing capacity of sand overlying clay.” Int. J. Geomech., 04017015.
Wheeler, S. J., Näätänen, A., Karstunen, M., and Lojander, M. (2003). “An anisotropic elastoplastic model for soft clays.” Can. Geotech. J., 40(2), 403–418.
Whittle, A. J., and Davies, R. V. (2006). “Nicoll Highway collapse: Evaluation of geotechnical factors affecting design of excavation support system.” Proc., Int. Conf. on Deep Excavations, Vol. 28, Singapore, 30.
Zhang, D. M., Phoon, K. K., Huang, H. W., and Hu, Q. F. (2015). “Characterization of model uncertainty for cantilever deflections in undrained clay.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 04014088.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering
ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering
Volume 4Issue 2June 2018

History

Received: Jan 25, 2017
Accepted: Oct 23, 2017
Published online: Mar 8, 2018
Published in print: Jun 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Aug 8, 2018

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Marco D’Ignazio, Ph.D. [email protected]
Geotechnical Engineer, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 0855 Oslo, Norway (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Kok-Kwang Phoon, F.ASCE [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Republic of Singapore 119077. E-mail: [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Tampere Univ. of Technology, 33720, Tampere, Finland. E-mail: tim.lä[email protected]
Siew Ann Tan [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Republic of Singapore 119077. E-mail: [email protected]

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.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share