Technical Papers
Jun 28, 2024

Mechanical Behavior of Cemented Sand under Plane Strain Condition

Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 9

Abstract

Most of the previous studies on the behavior of cemented sand were carried out under axisymmetric conditions. In this study, the failure and stress–strain behavior of cemented sand under plane strain conditions were investigated by drained plane strain tests. It was found that the behavior of cemented sand was much affected by its consolidation history, as the bonding began to break when the consolidated stress was larger than the yielding stress during coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest (K0) consolidation. The growth of the intermediate principal effective stress ( σ2) made the stress–strain curve stiffer and less dilative under plane strain than under axisymmetric conditions. The bonding mobilization during the test was analyzed using an energy-balance approach. The friction between the sand particles and the breaking of the cementation bonding was assumed to dissipate the work done on the cemented sand. The peak friction angle of the cemented sand was not influenced by the cement content (cc), while the effective cohesion increased with the amount of cementation, as indicated by the cc in a power function relationship. In comparison to axisymmetric conditions, plane strain conditions result in a higher friction angle and lower cohesive strength.

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Data Availability Statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Education (MOE2015-T2-2-142) for supporting the research presented in this paper, and Nanyang Technological University for providing a scholarship to the first author.

Notation

The following symbols are used in this paper:
B
Skempton’s pore-pressure parameter;
cc
cement content;
c
effective cohesion stress (kPa);
D50
mean grain size (mm);
d
dilatancy ratio (δɛpvɛpr);
dp
incremental mean effective stress (kPa);
dq
incremental deviator stress (kPa);
dɛv
volumetric strain increment;
dɛ1
axial strain increment;
dɛ2, dɛ3
horizontal strain increments;
es
intergranular void ratio;
es,c
intergranular void ratio after consolidation;
K0
coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest;
p
mean effective stress (kPa);
pc
mean effective stress after consolidation;
py
yielding mean effective stress (kPa);
q
deviator stress (kPa);
qc
deviator stress after consolidation (kPa);
s
stress parameter ((σ1+σ3)/2);
t
stress parameter ((σ1σ3)/2);
ΔW
total work;
ΔWbond
energy dissipated by bonding breakage;
ΔWfric
energy dissipated by frictional loss;
δɛp v
incremental plastic volumetric strain;
δɛp1, δɛp3
incremental major and minor plastic strains;
δεγp
incremental plastic shear strain;
δɛv
incremental total volumetric strain;
δɛ1
incremental axial strain;
δɛγ
incremental total shear strain;
η
stress ratio (t/s′);
σ1,σ2,σ3
major, intermediate, and minor principal effective stresses, respectively (kPa); and
φ
effective friction angle of soil (°).

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Go to International Journal of Geomechanics
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24Issue 9September 2024

History

Received: Mar 3, 2024
Accepted: Mar 12, 2024
Published online: Jun 28, 2024
Published in print: Sep 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Nov 28, 2024

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Lei Wang
Lecturer, School of Civil Engineering, Zhengzhou Univ., 100 Kexue Ave., Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, China; Previously, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological Univ., 50 Nanyang Ave., Singapore 639798.
Jian Chu, Ph.D. [email protected]
Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological Univ., 50 Nanyang Ave., Singapore 639798 (corresponding author). Email: [email protected]
Shifan Wu, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological Univ., 50 Nanyang Ave., Singapore 639798.

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