Mechanisms of Mudcrack Formation and Growth in Bentonite Paste
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 4
Abstract
Drying shrinkage results in cracks in mud in nature, and the patterns of the cracks are complex because of multiple combinations of various physical processes. Mudcrack growth may be induced by the internal friction caused by the differences between the shrinkage ratios of the soil skeletons, but the mechanical details remain unknown. In this study, the authors determined the fractal dimensions and its behavior to quantify the geometric characteristics of mudcracks on bentonite paste. Subsequently, the strain distribution of the mudcracks occurring on the bentonite paste was observed by the digital image correlation (DIC) method, and the mudcrack characteristics were clarified. Lastly, a novel numerical model for mudcrack growth in/on mud paste was described based on the results of DIC analyses. This is a new model for mudcrack simulation based on the techniques of three-dimensional solid dynamics. In order to validate the proposed model, the Hausdorff fractal dimension of the numerical crack patterns was compared with that of the data obtained. As a result, some reasonable fracture patterns were obtained, and the fractal dimension of the cracking patterns by numerical simulation was fairly consistent with the experimental results.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) Grant No. 26790079 and by the University of the Ryukyus Strategic Research Grant.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 4 • April 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 26, 2016
Accepted: Sep 21, 2017
Published online: Feb 10, 2018
Published in print: Apr 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jul 10, 2018
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