Changes in the Permeability and Permeability Anisotropy of Reconstituted Clays under One-Dimensional Compression and the Corresponding Micromechanisms
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22, Issue 2
Abstract
It is important to assess the permeability characteristics of clays in the prediction of the postconstruction settlement of geotechnical projects on clay grounds. The coefficient of permeability in the vertical direction (kv) and horizontal direction (kh) of clays under different vertical effective stresses were measured using newly developed permeability test equipment to investigate the variations in the permeability and permeability anisotropy of reconstituted clays and their influential factors under one-dimensional (1D) compression. The evolution of the pore sizes and pore orientations was also investigated to clarify the corresponding micromechanisms. The test results showed that the permeability of the reconstituted clays was related to the mineral composition, clay content, void ratio, and clay fabric. The variations in kv and kh with the void ratio could be represented in terms of a linear e–log(k) relationship. Under the same strain, the values of kh were obviously larger than those of kv, and the permeability anisotropy ratio (kh/kv) values increased from 1 to 2 with increasing vertical strain. For all the tested reconstituted clays, both kv and kh generally decreased linearly with decreasing cumulative pore volume. For different clays with the same cumulative pore volume, kv and kh decreased with an increase in the plasticity index. In general, the anisotropy index of the pores increased, and the main orientation angle of the pores decreased with increasing vertical effective stress. For a certain clay, the increase in permeability anisotropy with vertical strain resulted from the gradual development of microstructural anisotropy. The findings of this study may assist in the accurate prediction of the consolidation behavior of reconstituted clays with vertical and horizontal drainage.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0805402), the Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51890911), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51509181).
References
ASTM. 2018. Standard test method for determination of pore volume and pore volume distribution of soil and rock by mercury intrusion porosimetry. ASTM D4404-18. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Ai, Z. Y., and Y. C. Cheng. 2013. “3-D consolidation analysis of layered soil with anisotropic permeability using analytical layer-element method.” Acta Mech. Solida Sin. 26 (1): 62–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0894-9166(13)60007-5.
Al-Tabbaa, A., and D. M. Wood. 1987. “Some measurements of the permeability of kaolin.” Geotechnique 37 (4): 499–503. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1987.37.4.499.
Bo, M. W., J. Chu, B. K. Low, and V. Choa. 2003. Soil improvement: Prefabricated vertical drain technique. Singapore: Thomson Learning.
Bo, M. W., A. Arulrajah, M. Leong, S. Horpibulsuk, and M. M. Disfani. 2014. “Evaluating the in-situ hydraulic conductivity of soft soil under land reclamation fills with the BAT permeameter.” Eng. Geol. 168: 98–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.11.001.
Brand, E. W., and R. P. Brenner. 1981. Soft clay engineering. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company.
Burnett, A. 1995. “A quantitative X-ray diffraction technique for analyzing sedimentary rocks and soils.” J. Test. Eval. 23 (2): 111–118. https://doi.org/10.1520/JTE10902J.
Chai, J. C., and J. P. Carter. 2011. Deformation analysis in soft ground improvement. Berlin: Springer.
Chai, J. C., R. Jia, and T. Hino. 2012. “Anisotropic consolidation behavior of Ariake clay from three different CRS tests.” Geotech. Test. J. 35 (6): 845–853.
Chai, J. C., R. Jia, J. X. Nie, K. Aiga, T. Negami, and T. Hino. 2015. “1D deformation induced permeability and microstructural anisotropy of Ariake clays.” Geomech. Eng. 8 (1): 81–95. https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2015.8.1.081.
Chu, J., M. W. Bo, M. F. Chang, and V. Choa. 2002. “Consolidation and permeability properties of Singapore marine clay.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. 128 (9): 724–732. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2002)128:9(724).
Clennell, M. B., D. N. Dewhurst, K. M. Brown, and G. K. Westbrook. 1999. “Permeability anisotropy of consolidated clays.” Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ. 158 (1): 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1999.158.01.07.
Cortellazzo, G., and P. Simonini. 2001. “Permeability evaluation and its implications for consolidation analysis of an Italian soft clay deposit.” Can. Geotech. J. 38 (Dec): 1166–1176. https://doi.org/10.1139/t01-042.
Daigle, H., and B. Dugan. 2011. “Permeability anisotropy and fabric development: A mechanistic explanation.” Water. Resour. Res. 47 (12): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011WR011110.
Das, B. M. 2014. Advanced soil mechanics. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; Taylor & Francis Group.
Das, B. M., and K. Sobhan. 2012. Principles of geotechnical engineering. 8th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Delage, P., and G. Lefebvre. 1984. “Study of the structure of a sensitive Champlain clay and its evolution during consolidation.” Can. Geotech. J. 21 (1): 21–35. https://doi.org/10.1139/t84-003.
Deng, Y. F., X. B. Yue, Y. J. Cui, G. H. Shao, S. Y. Liu, and D. W. Zhang. 2014. “Effect of pore water chemistry on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of Lianyungang soft marine clay.” Appl. Clay Sci. 95 (Jun): 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2014.04.007.
Gao, Q. F., M. Jrad, M. Hattab, J. M. Fleureau, and L. I. Ameur. 2020. “Pore morphology, porosity, and pore size distribution in kaolinitic remolded clays under triaxial loading.” Int. J. Geomech. 20 (6): 04020057. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001682.
Goraczko, A., and S. Topoliński. 2020. “Particle size distribution of natural clayey soils: A discussion on the use of laser diffraction analysis (LDA).” Geosciences 10 (2): 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10020055.
Hattab, M., T. Hammad, J. M. Fleureau, and P. Y. Hicher. 2013. “Behavior of a sensitive sediment: Microstructural investigation.” Geotechqiue 63 (1): 71–84. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.10.P.104.
Hong, Z. S., S. L. Shen, Y. F. Deng, and T. Negami. 2007. “Loss of soil structure for natural sedimentary clays.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng. 160 (3): 153–159. https://doi.org/10.1680/geng.2007.160.3.153.
Horpibulsuk, S., R. Rachan, A. Chinkulkijniwat, and Y. Raksachon. 2010. “Analysis of strength development in cement-stabilized silty clay from microstructural considerations.” Constr. Build. Mater. 24 (10): 2011–2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.03.011.
Horpibulsuk, S., N. Yangsukkaseam, A. Chinkulkijniwat, and Y. J. Du. 2011. “Compressibility and permeability of Bangkok clay compared with kaolinite and bentonite.” Appl. Clay Sci. 52 (1–2): 150–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2011.02.014.
Jamiolkowski, M., R. Lancellotta, and W. Wolski. 1983. “Precompression and speeding up consolidation.” In Vol. 2 of Proc., 8th European Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundations, 1201–1226. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Balkema.
Jia, R. 2010. “Consolidation behavior of Ariake clay under constant rate of strain.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Engineering Systems and Technology, Saga Univ.
Jia, R., H. Y. Lei, and K. Li. 2020. “Compressibility and microstructure evolution of different reconstituted clays during 1D compression.” Int. J. Geomech. 20 (10): 04020181. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001830.
Kong, L. 2011. “Study on pore distribution and permeability under different vertical stress levels due to consolidation of soft clay.” Chin. J. Underground Space Eng. 7 (S2): 1664–1682.
Kim, P., K. S. Ri, Y. G. Kim, K. N. Sin, H. B. Myong, and C. H. Paek. 2020. “Nonlinear consolidation analysis of a saturated clay layer with variable compressibility and permeability under various cyclic loadings.” Int. J. Geomech. 20 (8): 04020111. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001730.
Lambe, T. W., and R. V. Whitman. 1969. Soil mechanics. New York: Wiley.
Lapierre, C., S. Leroueil, and J. Locat. 1990. “Mercury intrusion and permeability of Louiseville clay.” Can. Geotech. J. 27 (Dec): 761–773. https://doi.org/10.1139/t90-090.
Leroueil, S., P. Lerat, D. W. Hight, and J. J. M. Powell. 1992. “Hydraulic conductivity of a recent estuarine silty clay at Bothkennar.” Geotechnique 42 (2): 275–288. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1992.42.2.275.
Li, C. X., J. S. Huang, L. Z. Wu, J. F. Lu, and C. Q. Xia. 2018. “Approximate analytical solutions for one-dimensional consolidation of a clay layer with variable compressibility and permeability under a ramp loading.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (11): 06018032. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001296.
Monroy, R., L. Zdravkovic, and A. Ridley. 2010. “Evolution of microstructure in compacted London Clay during wetting and loading.” Geotechnique 60 (2): 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.8.P.125.
Nagaraj, T. S., N. S. Pandian, and P. S. R. N. Raju. 1993. “Stress state-permeability relationships for fine-grained soils.” Geotechnique 43 (2): 333–336. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1993.43.2.333.
O’Kelly, B. C. 2006. “Compression and consolidation anisotropy of some soft soils.” Geotech. Geol. Eng. 24: 1715–1728. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-005-5760-0.
Pineda, J. A., X. F. Liu, and S. W. Sloan. 2016. “Effects of tube sampling in soft clay: A microstructural insight.” Geotechnique 66 (12): 969–983. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.15.P.217.
Ranaivomanana, H., A. Razakamanantsoa, and O. Amiri. 2017. “Permeability prediction of soils including degree of compaction and microstructure.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (4): 04016107. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000792.
Ren, X. W., Y. Zhao, Q. L. Deng, D. X. Li, and D. B. Wang. 2016. “A relation of hydraulic conductivity—Void ratio for soils based on Kozeny–Carman equation.” Eng. Geol. 213 (Nov): 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.08.017.
Romero, E. 2013. “A microstructural insight into compacted clayey soils and their hydraulic properties.” Eng. Geol. 165 (Oct): 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.05.024.
Seah, T. H., and S. Koslanant. 2003. “Anisotropic consolidation behavior of soft Bangkok clay.” Geotech. Test. J. 26 (3): 266–276. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ11300J.
Shafiee, A. 2008. “Permeability of compacted granule–clay mixtures.” Eng. Geol. 97 (3–4): 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2008.01.002.
Shi, X. S., and J. H. Yin. 2018. “Estimation of hydraulic conductivity of saturated sand–marine clay mixtures with a homogenization approach.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (7): 04018082. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001190.
Tanaka, H., D. R. Shiwakoti, N. Omukai, F. Rito, J. Locat, and M. Tanaka. 2003. “Pore size distribution of clayey soils measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry and its relation to hydraulic conductivity.” Soils Found. 43 (6): 63–73. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.43.6_63.
Tavenas, F., P. Jean, P. Leblond, and S. Leroueil. 1983. “The permeability of natural soft clays. Part II: Permeability characteristics.” Can. Geotech. J. 20 (Nov): 645–660. https://doi.org/10.1139/t83-073.
Terzaghi, K., R. B. Peck, and G. Mesri. 1996. Soil mechanics in engineering practice. 3rd ed. New York: Wiley.
Tovey, N. K., and D. H. Krinsley. 1992. “Mapping of the orientation of fine-grained minerals in soils and sediments.” Bull. Int. Assoc. Eng. Geol. 46: 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02595039.
Wang, Q., Y. J. Cui, A. M. Tang, J.-D. Barnichon, S. Saba, and W. M. Ye. 2013. “Hydraulic conductivity and microstructure changes of compacted bentonite/sand mixture during hydration.” Eng. Geol. 164 (Sep): 67–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.06.013.
Wilkinson, W. B., and E. L. Shipley. 1972. “Vertical and horizontal laboratory permeability measurements in clay soils.” Dev. Soil Sci. 2: 285–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-2481(08)70547-6.
Yune, C. Y., and C. K. Chung. 2005. “Consolidation test at constant rate of strain for radial drainage.” Geotech. Test. J. 28 (1): 71–78.
Zeng, L. L., Z. S. Hong, Y. Q. Cai, and J. Han. 2011. “Change of hydraulic conductivity during compression of undisturbed and remolded clays.” Appl. Clay Sci. 51 (1–2): 86–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2010.11.005.
Zeng, L. L., Z. S. Hong, and Y. F. Gao. 2017. “One-dimensional compression behaviour of reconstituted clays with and without humic acid.” Appl. Clay Sci. 144 (Aug): 45–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2017.04.025.
Zeng, L. L., H. Wang, and Z. S. Hong. 2020a. “Hydraulic conductivity of naturally sedimented and reconstituted clays interpreted from consolidation tests.” Eng. Geol. 272 (Jul): 105638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105638.
Zeng, Z. X., Y. J. Cui, N. Conil, and J. Talandier. 2020b. “Experimental investigation and modeling of the hydraulic conductivity of saturated bentonite–claystone mixture.” Int. J. Geomech. 20 (10): 04020184. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001817.
Zhang, M., M. M. Jiang, and Y. M. Zhao. 2013. “Nonlinear permeability and parameter determination for dredged fill based on GDS consolidation apparatus.” [In Chinese.] Chin. J. Rock Mech. Eng. 32 (3): 625–632.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 4, 2021
Accepted: Oct 6, 2021
Published online: Dec 14, 2021
Published in print: Feb 1, 2022
Discussion open until: May 14, 2022
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.
Cited by
- Jian Xu, Yanfeng Li, Bao Wang, Zefeng Wang, Songhe Wang, Microstructure and Permeability of Bentonite-Modified Loess after Wetting–Drying Cycles, International Journal of Geomechanics, 10.1061/IJGNAI.GMENG-7726, 23, 5, (2023).