Density Changes During Undrained Loading—Membrane Compliance
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 118, Issue 12
Abstract
Membrane compliance in the triaxial test may cause water‐content redistribution and an increase in specimen density during undrained cyclic loading. A reduction in effective confining pressure causes the membrane to rebound from penetration sites and causes pore fluid to migrate to the specimen periphery. As pore fluid is drawn from interior to peripheral voids, the skeletal grain structure contracts to balance the fluid volume. Thus, specimen density at the end of undrained cyclic loading may be considerably higher than the density at the start, even though the test is undrained. Properties measured at the end of the test may not represent actual in situ performance, as the specimen contracted due to membrane compliance. The final specimen density may be determined by measuring volume changes in drained hydrostatic load and unload tests. Volume changes due to membrane penetration may be used to compute changes in density during undrained loading. The basis for this determination is presented in this paper. Results are presented for unsluiced and sluiced gravel specimens.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 118 • Issue 12 • December 1992
Pages: 1924 - 1936
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 ASCE.
History
Published online: Dec 1, 1992
Published in print: Dec 1992
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