Digital Image Analysis of Dynamic Compaction Effects on Clay Fills
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 11
Abstract
This paper presents the findings of a digital image analysis based study of clay fills, compacted with dynamic compaction for a building foundation in northeast Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Three levels of compaction energy were used at three compaction pits, respectively. Ground settlements and soil density increased with the number of dynamic impact blows. Microstructures of dry clay fill samples from the pits were examined with a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). Their microstructural parameters were further measured and analyzed quantitatively using digital image analysis. The clay SEM images are automatically converted into ternary images representing particles, pores, and contact zones for effective and efficient calculation of the clay microstructural parameters. The effect of dynamic compaction on the clay microstructural properties at different blow numbers and compaction energy levels is examined. Analysis revealed that the changes of the soil microstructural properties have a good correlation with the observed ground settlements at the three pits. The ground settlements are due to the size and shape changes and reorientation of the grain particles and pores of the clay fills.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Scientific Innovation Project of CAS (No. UNSPECIFIEDKZCX3-SW-134), the National Foundational Research Project 973 (No. UNSPECIFIED2002CB412702), and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The writers thank the editor, Professor Roman D. Hryciw, the three peer reviewers for their valuable comments, and suggestions which have enhanced the paper presentation.
References
Abebe, A. T., Tanaka, T., and Yamazaki, M. (1989). “Soil compaction by multiple passes of rigid wheel relevant for optization of traffic.” J. Terramech., 26, 136–148.
Brown, C. J. (2000). “Entropy and granular materials: Model.” J. Eng. Mech., 126(6), 599–604.
Clark, M. W. (1981). “Quantitative shape analysis: A review.” J. Math. Geol., 13, 303–320.
Collins, K., and McGown, A. (1974). “The form and function of micro-fabric features in a variety of natural clays.” Geotechnique, 24(2), 223–254.
Davis, P. F., and Dexter, A. R. (1972). “Two methods for quantitative description of soil particle shape.” J. Soil Sci., 23, 448–455.
Delage, P., and Lefebvre, G. (1984). “Study of the structure of a sensitive Champlain clay and its evolution during consolidation.” Can. Geotech. J., 21, 21–35.
Haralick, R. M. (1979). “Statistical and structural approaches to texture.” Proc. IEEE, 67, 786–804.
Hu, R. L. (1995). Quantitative model and engineering geologic characteristics of microstructures of viscous soil, Geological Publishing House, Beijing, 1–70 (in Chinese).
Hu, R. L., Li, X. Q., and Guan, G. L. (1996). “Geomorphologic elements of microstructures of viscous soil and their quantitative information processing techniques.” Chin. Jo. Earth, 17, 229–236 (in Chinese).
Hu, R. L., Yueng, M. R., Lee, C. F., and Wang, S. J. (2001). “Mechanic behaviour and microstructual variation of loess under dynamic compaction.” Eng. Geol. (Amsterdam), 59(3–4), 203–217.
Lay, M. G., and Metcalf, J. B. (1987). “Subgrade and basecourse compaction—An ARRB perspective.” Proc., 4th National Local Government Engineering, Conf., Perth, Australia, 324–330.
Lin, Z. Y. (1991). Handbook of ground modifications, Liaoning Science and Technology, Shenyang, China, 392–415 (in Chinese).
Menard, L. (1972). “La consolidation dynamique des remblais recents et sols compressibles.” Travaux, 54(452), 56–60.
Oda, M. (1972). “Initial fabrics and their relations to mechanical properties of granular material.” Soils Found., 12(1), 17–36.
Qian, J. H. (1986). “Theory and practice of dynamic compaction.” Chinese J. Geotech. Eng., 8(6), 1–7 (in Chinese).
Ringrose-Voase, A. J. (1991). “Micromorphology of soil structure: Description, quantification, application.” Austral. J. Soil Res., 29, 777–813.
Ringrose-Voase, A. J. (1994). “Some principles to be observed in the quantitative analysis of section of soil.” Development in soil science 22, Soil micromorphology: Studies in management and genesis, Elservier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 483–493.
Scott, G. J. T., Webster, R., and Nortcliff, S. (1988). “Topology of porestructure in cracking clay soil. I: the estimation of numerical density.” J. Soil Sci., 39, 303–314.
Scout, R. A., and Pearce, E. W. (1975). “Soil compaction by impact.” Geotechnique, 25(1), 19–30.
Smart, P., and Tovey, N. K. (1988). “Theoretical aspects of intensity gradient analysis.” Scanning, 8, 75–90.
Terzaghi, K., Peck, R. B., and Mesri, G. (1996). Soil mechanics in engineering practice, Wiley, New York, 549–549.
Toussaint, G. T. (1988). Computational morphology: A Computational geometric approach to the analysis of form, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 261–261.
Tovey, N. K., Smart, P., and Hounslow, M. W. (1994). “Quantitative methods to determine microporosity in soils and sediments.” Development in soil science 22, Soil micromorphology: Studies in management and genesis, Elservier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 531–539.
Tovey, R. N., and Wong, K. Y. (1973). “The preparation of soils and other geological materials for the scanning electron microscope.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Soil Structure, Gothenburg, Sweden, 59–67.
Yue, Z. Q., Bekking, W., and Morin, I. (1995). “Application of digital image processing to quantitative study of asphalt concrete microstructure.” Transportation Research Record, 1492, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 53–60.
Yue, Z. Q., and Morin, I. (1996). “Digital image processing for aggregate orientation in asphalt concrete mixtures.” Can. J. Civ. Eng., 23(2), 480–489.
Zeng, G. X. (1992). Handbook of ground improvement, Chinese Architectural Press, Beijing, 214–260 (in Chinese).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 11 • November 2005
Pages: 1411 - 1422
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: May 28, 2003
Accepted: Apr 9, 2005
Published online: Nov 1, 2005
Published in print: Nov 2005
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.