A General Method for Quantifying the Shear Strength Anisotropy of Soil
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 5
Abstract
Although extensive investigations have been performed on soil anisotropy, little information is available regarding its quantification. The quantification of anisotropy reflects the extent to which the inherent anisotropy of soil controls its mechanical behavior and so it is crucial for connecting comprehensive experimental research with soil constitutive models and engineering practices. The present study evaluates the level of shear strength anisotropy in various types of soil. A database is compiled of the variations of shear strength with the direction of major principal stress (α) as established via hollow-cylinder torsional shear tests, covering more than 20 types of soil. This study reviews critically the existing methods for strength anisotropy, finding none of them quantifies anisotropy satisfactorily. The present study proposes using the bracketed area by the S(α)/S(0)–α curve and the line S(α)/S(0) = 1 to measure the level of strength anisotropy, where S(α) is the soil strength as a function of α. The proposed method in this study can measure the strength anisotropy levels of sands, silts, clays, residual soil, calcareous sand, mudstone, and glacial till, among others. Additionally, the anisotropy degree measured using the proposed method appears to be consistent with the results of microstructural anisotropy evaluations. This study enhances the understanding of soil anisotropy by providing a comprehensive database of soil strength anisotropy and proposing a general method for its quantification.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41972285, 42177148, 12102312, and 51978304), the Key R & D projects of Hubei Province (2021BAA186), the Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Hubei Province (2020CFA103), and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2022CFA014) are appreciated.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24 • Issue 5 • May 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 23, 2022
Accepted: Oct 30, 2023
Published online: Feb 19, 2024
Published in print: May 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jul 19, 2024
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