Experimental Studies and Constitutive Modeling of Static Liquefaction Instability in Sand–Clay Mixtures
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22, Issue 9
Abstract
This paper examines static liquefaction phenomena in sand–clay mixtures from both experimental and theoretical perspectives. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests (CU tests) are implemented on a mixture of sand and clay to study the effects of initial relative density, confining pressure, and clay content on static liquefaction responses. By using the equivalent granular state parameter, a state-dependent hardening plasticity model is proposed to reproduce mechanical responses, as well as to replicate the observed static liquefaction phenomenon. In accordance with the second-order work theory, the criteria for predicting the potential instability and static liquefaction of sand–clay mixtures are obtained. The analyses show that (1) static liquefaction is prone to be promoted by low initial relative density and confining pressure; (2) even a small amount of clay particles can significantly increase the liquefaction susceptibility in loose sand–clay mixtures; (3) the proposed constitutive model can provide a satisfactory match between the test data and the simulations; and (4) even when the state of the soil is potentially unstable, soils can still remain stable unless second-order work vanishes, which indicates the inception of static liquefaction.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC through Grant Nos. 42172300 and 41672270) is gratefully acknowledged.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 22 • Issue 9 • September 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 22, 2021
Accepted: Mar 14, 2022
Published online: Jul 6, 2022
Published in print: Sep 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Dec 6, 2022
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