Shear Band Formation Observed in Ring Shear Tests on Sandy Soils
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 2
Abstract
Shear band formation is an important factor in understanding failures in soil. In this paper, shear localization and shear band formation and evolution are examined using ring shear tests performed on three sands prepared by air pluviation. A transparent outer confining ring was used to visualize formation and evolution of the entire shear band. By comparing the ring shear stress paths with visual observations made during shearing, the writers show that the specimen shears uniformly over its entire height prior to shear localization. Bifurcation under constant volume and drained conditions occurs as the soil fully mobilizes its effective friction angle, and subsequent shear displacements occur only within the shear band. Consistent with previous studies, the final thickness of the observed shear band ranged from 10 to 14 times the median particle diameter. Substantial particle damage occurred within the shear band after large displacements, particularly for dilative specimens, causing additional strain-softening in contractive specimens and a second phase transformation and considerable strain-softening in dilative specimens.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank Professor Gholamreza Mesri and Mr. Tim Prunkard (head of the machine shop at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Illinois) for their critical review of various designs for the new ring shear device, and University of Illinois graduate and undergraduate students David Jaromin, Brett Zitny, and Kyle Klepitch for their assistance in performing the ring shear tests. Finally, we are grateful to the Editorial Board Member and two anonymous reviewers for their extensive and constructive comments that considerably improved the manuscript.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 2 • February 2010
Pages: 366 - 375
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 25, 2008
Accepted: Aug 10, 2009
Published online: Aug 20, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2010
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