Influence of Sidewall Friction on the Results of Small-Scale Laboratory Model Tests: Numerical Assessment
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 12, Issue 2
Abstract
Laboratory model tests in geotechnical engineering are routinely performed in small concrete or steel test tanks to examine the bearing capacity of footings, lateral earth pressures on retaining walls, behavior of reinforced foundation soils, and more. Results from these model tests are influenced by the shear forces generated on the sidewalls. The influence of such extraneous forces may completely change the interpretation of the test results or the failure mechanism. This paper presents a methodology for assessing the influence of such sidewall forces through numerical simulations. Through systematic numerical simulations, the influence of factors such as the relative size of the test tank, soil properties, and sidewall properties as investigated. The influence of sidewall friction and relative size of the test tank on the results as also investigated. Sidewall friction was found to a lesser effect for a wider test tank or for soil with a greater friction angle. Some recommendations on the relative tank sizes are also made on the basis of the results of this investigation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The writers thank the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and suggestions that have considerably improved the presentation in the paper.
References
Abou-Chakra, H., and Tuzun, U. (1999a). “Coefficient of friction of binary granular mixtures in contact with a smooth wall. Part I: Direct shear box measurements of the effects of particle size ratio and particle surface roughness.” Chem. Eng. Sci.CESCAC, 54(24), 5901–5912.
Abou-Chakra, H., and Tuzun, U. (1999b). “Coefficient of friction of binary granular mixtures in contact with a smooth wall. Part II: Micro-structural model describing the effects of packing fraction and load distribution on the wall friction of smooth, elastic spheres.” Chem. Eng. Sci.CESCAC, 54(24), 5913–5925.
Babu, G. L. S., and Basha, B. M. (2008). “Optimum design of cantilever retaining walls using target reliability approach.” Int. J. Geomech.IJGNAI, 8(4), 240–252.
Bathurst, R. J., and Benjamin, D. J. (1987). “Preliminary assessment of sidewall friction on large scale wall models in the RMC test facility.” The application of polymeric reinforcement in soil retaining structures, Jarrett, P. M. and McGown, A., eds., Kluwer Academic, London, U.K., 181–192.
Baus, R. L., and Wang, M. C. (1983). “Bearing capacity of strip footing above void.” J. Geotech. Engrg.JGENDZ, 109(1), 1–14.
Bransby, P. L., and Smith, I. A. A. (1975). “Side friction in model retaining wall experiments.” J. Geotech. Engrg.JGENDZ, 101(7), 615–632.
Chen, R. H., and Chiu, Y. M. (2008). “Model tests of geocell retaining structures.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 26(1), 56–70.
Choudhury, D., and Nimbalkar, S. S. (2008). “Seismic rotational displacement of gravity walls by pseudodynamic method.” Int. J. Geomech.IJGNAI, 8(3), 169–175.
Dash, S. K., Krishnaswamy, N. R., and Rajagopal, K. (2001). “Bearing capacity of strip footings supported on geocell-reinforced sand.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 19(4), 235–256.
El-Emam, M. M., and Bathurst, R. J. (2007). “Influence of reinforcement parameters on the seismic response of reduced-scale reinforced soil retaining walls.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 25(1), 33–49.
Fabian, K. J., and Fourie, A. B. (1988). “Clay-geotextile interaction in large retaining wall models.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 7(3), 179–201.
Gardner, C. L., and Schaeffer, D. G. (1994). “Numerical simulation of uniaxial compression of a granular material with wall friction.” SIAM J. Appl. Math.SMJMAP, 54(6), 1676–1692.
Hadala, P. F. (1968). “Sidewall friction reduction in static and dynamic small blast load generator tests.” Final Rep., Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS.
Iqbal, T., and Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2006). “Effect of storage conditions on the wall friction characteristics of three food powders.” J. Food Eng.JFOEDH, 72(3), 273–280.
Isabel, M., Pinto, M., and Cousens, T. W. (1996). “Geotextile reinforced brick faced retaining walls.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 14(9), 449–464.
Itasca Consulting Group (2006). Fast lagrangian analysis of continua in 3-dimensions version 3.1: User’s manual, Itasca Consulting Group Minneapolis.
Jarrett, N. D., Brown, C. J., and Moore, D. B. (1992). “Obtaining accurate pressure measurements in a stored granular medium.” Can. Geotech. J.CGJOAH, 29(2), 217–224.
Jarrett, N. D., Brown, C. J., and Moore, D. B. (1995). “Pressure measurements in a rectangular silo.” GeotechniqueGTNQA8, 45(1), 95–104.
Jewell, R. A. (1987). “Analysis and predicted behaviour for the royal military college trial wall.” The application of polymeric reinforcement in soil retaining structures, Jarrett, P. M., and McGown, A., eds., Kluwer Academic, London, U.K., 193–235.
Juran, I., and Christopher, B. (1989). “Laboratory model study on geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining walls.” J. Geotech. Engrg.JGENDZ, 115(7), 905–926.
Kirkpatrick, W. M., and Yanikian, H. A. (1975). “Side friction in plane strain tests.” Proc., 4th South East Conf. on Soil Engineering, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, 76–84.
Kumar, J., and Bhoi, M. S. (2009). “Interference of two closely spaced strip footings on sand using model tests.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng.JGGEFK, 135(4), 595–604.
Kumar, J., and Khatri, V. N. (2008). “Effect of footing roughness on lower bound values.” Int. J. Geomech.IJGNAI, 8(3), 176–187.
Lawton, P. J. (1980). “Coefficients of friction between cereal grain and various silo wall materials.” J. Agric. Eng. Res.JAERA2, 25(1), 75–86.
Nasr, A. M. A. (2009). “Experimental and theoretical studies for the behaviour of strip footing on oil-contaminated sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng.JGGEFK, 135(12), 1814–1822.
Poornanandam, K. (2009). “Studies on controlled yielding technique to reduce lateral earth pressures on rigid retaining structures.” Ph. D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India.
Sadoglu, E., Cure, E., Moroglu, B., and Uzuner, B. A. (2009). “Ultimate loads for eccentrically loaded model shallow strip footings on geotextile-reinforced sand.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 27(3), 176–182.
Samtani, N. C., and Sonpal, R. C. (1989). “Laboratory tests of strip footing on reinforced cohesive soil.” J. Geotech. Eng.JGENDZ, 115(9), 1326–1330.
Saran, S., Garg, K. G., and Bhandari, R. K. (1992). “Retaining wall with reinforced cohesionless backfill.” J. Geotech. Eng.JGENDZ, 118(12), 1869–1888.
Selvadurai, A. P. S., and Gnanendran, C. T. (1989). “An experimental study of a footing located on a sloped fill: Influence of a soil reinforcement layer.” Can. Geotech. J.CGJOAH, 26(3), 467–473.
Sherif, M. A., Fang, Y. S., and Sherif, R. I. (1984). “ and behind rotating and non-yielding walls.” J. Geotech. Eng.JGENDZ, 110(1), 41–56.
Shvetsov, G. I. (1971). “Pressure of granular material on retaining walls under conditions of a confined mass.” Power Tech. Eng., 5(10), 929–933.
Singh, S., Sivakugan, N., and Shukla, S. K. (2010). “Can soil arching be insensitive to ?.” Int. J. Geomech.IJGNAI, 10(3), 124–128.
Tognon, A. R., Rowe, R. K., and Brachman, R. W. I. (1999). “Evaluation of sidewall friction for a buried pipe testing facility.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 17(4), 193–212.
van de Bergh, W. J. B., de Lannoy, M. R. J., and Scarlett, B. (1991). “Influence of particle breakage on the wall friction coefficient of brittle particulate solids part 2: Application to a silo design.” Powder Technol.POTEBX, 67(3), 249–263.
Wang, Y. J., and Yin, J. H. (2002). “Wedge stability analysis considering dilatancy of discontinuities.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng.RMREDX, 35(2), 127–137.
Wong, K. S., Broms, B. B., and Chandrasekaran, B. (1994). “Failure modes at model tests of a geotextile reinforced wall.” Geotextiles Geomembr., 13(6–7), 475–493.
Xi, Z. M., and Huai, Z. (2008). “Model test on sand retaining wall reinforced with denti-strip inclusions.” Sci. China, Ser. E: Technol. Sci.SCSEDD, 51(12), 2269–2279.
Yin, J. H., Wang, Y. J., and Selvadurai, A. P. S. (2001). “The influence of a non-associative flow rule on the calculation of bearing capacity of a strip footing.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng.JGGEFK, 127(11), 985–989.
Zhao, J., Wang, C. H., Lee, D. J., and Tien, C. (2003). “Cake consolidation in a compression–permeability cell: Effect of side-wall friction.” J. Colloid Interface Sci.JCISA5, 262(1), 60–72.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 12 • Issue 2 • April 2012
Pages: 119 - 126
Copyright
© 2012. American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 2, 2010
Accepted: Feb 9, 2011
Published online: Feb 11, 2011
Published in print: Apr 1, 2012
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.