Damping of Sands for Varying Saturation
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 9
Abstract
A series of resonant column tests have been performed in the torsional mode of vibration to assess the effect of saturation, starting from the near dry state to the fully saturated state, on the damping ratio of sands corresponding to the threshold strain level. Tests were carried out on three different gradations of sand for various combinations of relative density and effective confining pressure. For fine sands, a certain optimum degree of saturation exists at which the damping ratio minimizes; it is known that a decrease in from a fully saturated state leads to a continuous increase in the matric suction. With an increase in the relative density, the optimum degree of saturation for fine sand increases marginally from 1.38 to 1.49%, but does not show any dependency on the effective confining pressure. In contrast, the minimum values of the damping ratio for medium and coarse sands are found to always correspond to the near dry state. The damping ratio decreases continuously with increases in relative density and effective confining pressure. The threshold strain level has been found to decrease continuously with increases in relative density and effective confining pressure.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support provided by the Department of Science and Technology, India, under the project “Dynamic properties of cohesionless soils using resonant column and bender element tests and their effects on ground response amplification,” is gratefully acknowledged.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 9 • September 2013
Pages: 1625 - 1630
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2012
Accepted: Jan 14, 2013
Published online: Jan 16, 2013
Published in print: Sep 1, 2013
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