Power Law Model to Predict Creep Movement and Creep Failure
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 9
Abstract
Soils deform as a function of time because of the consolidation and the creep processes. Under undrained conditions, the consolidation process is prevented and the creep deformations are isolated. A series of unconsolidated undrained (UU) triaxial tests were conducted to investigate a creep deformation model and a creep failure model. The creep deformation model estimates the deformation as a function of time for a sustained stress level. It is a simple power law able to describe the creep measurements observed in the experiments. The creep failure model predicts the approximate time for the creep failure to occur under a sustained stress level. It is based on a strain-failure concept in which the failure time is defined as the time necessary to reach the failure strain. The main model parameters are the creep exponent and the strain to failure, which can be obtained from creep triaxial tests and from standard triaxial experiments, respectively.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the partial funding provided by the Texas Department of Transportation, the Spencer J. Buchanan Chair, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
References
Acharya, M. P., M. T. Hendry, and C. D. Martin. 2018. “Creep behavior of intact and remould fibrous peat.” Acta Geotech. 13 (2): 399–417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-017-0545-1.
Adachi, T., and M. Okano. 1974. “A constitutive equation for normally consolidated clay.” Soils Found. 14 (4): 55–73. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1972.14.4_55.
Adachi, T., and A. Takase. 1981. “Prediction of long term strength of soft sedimentary rock.” In Proc., Int. Symp. on Weak Rock, 21–24. Tokyo: International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
ASTM. 2007. Standard test method for unconsolidated-undrained triaxial compression test on cohesive soils. ASTM D2850. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Aubeny, C. P., and R. L. Lytton. 2004. “Shallow slides in compacted high plasticity clay slopes.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 130 (7): 717–727. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:7(717).
Bi, G. 2015. “A power law model for time dependent behavior of soils.” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M Univ.
Bishop, A. W. 1966. “The strength of soils as engineering materials.” Geotechnique 16 (2): 91–130. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1966.16.2.91.
Briaud, J.-L. 1997. The national geotechnical experimentation sites at Texas A&M University: Clay and sand. College Station, TX: Texas A&M Univ.
Briaud, J.-L., and E. Garland. 1985. “Loading rate method for pile response in clay.” J. Geotech. Eng. 111 (3): 319–335. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1985)111:3(319).
Briaud, J.-L., and R. Gibbens. 1999. “Behavior of five large spread footings in sand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 125 (9): 787–796. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1999)125:9(787).
Briaud, J.-L., R. Griffin, A. Yeung, A. Soto, A. Suroor, and H. Park. 1998. “Long-term behavior of ground anchors and tieback walls.”. College Station, TX: Texas A&M Univ.
Briaud, J.-L., Y. Koohi, J. Nicks, and I. Jung. 2015. “San Jacinto Monument: New soil data and analysis including subsidence.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 141 (6): 04015023. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001299.
Briaud, J.-L., B. Smith, K.-Y. Rhee, H. Lacy, and J. Nicks. 2009. “The Washington Monument case history.” Int. J. Geoeng. Case Histories 1 (3): 170–188.
Campanella, R. G., and Y. P. Vaid. 1974. “Triaxial and plane strain creep failure of an undisturbed clay.” Can. Geotech. J. 11 (1): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1139/t74-001.
Casagrande, A., and S. D. Wilson. 1951. “Effect of rate of loading on the strength of clays and shales at constant water content.” Geotechnique 2 (3): 251–263. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1951.2.3.251.
Chandler, R. J., and A. W. Skempton. 1974. “The design of permanent cutting slopes in stiff fissured clays.” Geotechnique 24 (4): 457–466. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1974.24.4.457.
Dornfest, E. M., J. D. Nelson, and D. D. Overton. 2007. “Case history and causes of a progressive block failure in gently dipping bedrock.” In Proc., 1st North American Landslide Conf. Lexington, KY: Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists.
Grimstad, G., et al. 2017. “Creep of geomaterials—Some finding from the EU project CREEP.” Eur. J. Environ. Civ. Eng. 23 (3): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2016.1271360.
Hunter, G., and N. Khalili. 2000. “A simple criterion for creep induced failure of over-consolidated clays.” In Proc., GeoEng 2000 Conf. Melbourne, Australia: International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
Karimpour, H., and P. V. Lade. 2013. “Creep behavior in Virginia Beach sand.” Can. Geotech. J. 50 (11): 1159–1178. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2012-0467.
Lefebvre, G. 1981. “Fourth Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium: Strength and slope stability in Canadian soft clay deposits.” Can. Geotech. J. 18 (3): 420–442. https://doi.org/10.1139/t81-047.
Leoni, M., M. Karstunen, and P. A. Vermeer. 2008. “Anisotropic creep model for soft soils.” Geootechnique 58 (3): 215–226. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2008.58.3.215.
Leroueil, S. 1987. “Tenth Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium: Recent developments in consolidation of natural clays.” Can. Geotech. J. 25 (1): 85–107. https://doi.org/10.1139/t88-010.
Leroueil, S., M. Kabbaj, F. Tavenas, and R. Bouchard. 1986. “Discussion: Stress–strain–strain rate relation for the compressibility of sensitive natural clays.” Géotechnique 36 (2): 283–290. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1986.36.2.283.
Liingaard, M., A. Augustesen, and P. V. Lade. 2004. “Characterization of models for time-dependent behavior of soils.” Int. J. Geomech. 4 (2): 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1532-3641(2004)4:3(157).
Mitchell, R. J. 1970. “On the yielding and mechanical strength of Leda clays.” Can. Geotech. J. 7 (3): 297–312. https://doi.org/10.1139/t70-036.
Murayama, S., and T. Shibata. 1961. “Rheological properties of clays.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., 5th Int. Conf. of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 269–273. Paris: Dunod.
Nelson, J. D., and E. G. Thompson. 1977. “A theory of creep failure in overconsolidated clay.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div. 103 (11): 1281–1294.
Nova, R. 1982. “A viscoplastic constitutive model for normally consolidated clays.” In Proc., IUTAM Conf. on Deformation and Failure of Granular Materials, 287–295. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema.
Perzyna, P. 1966. “Fundamental problems in viscoplasticity.” In Vol. 9 of Advances in applied mechanics, edited by G. Kuerti, 243–377. New York: Academic Press.
Sanzeni, A., A. J. Whittle, J. T. Germaine, and F. Colleselli. 2012. “Compression and creep of Venice Lagoon sands.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 138 (10): 1266–1276. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000696.
Singh, A., and J. K. Mitchell. 1968. “General stress-strain-time function for soils.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 94 (1): 21–46.
Singh, A., and J. K. Mitchell. 1969. “Creep potential and creep failure of soils.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Conf., 379–383. Mexico City: Mexico Society for Geotechnical Engineering.
Skempton, A. W. 1964. “Long-term stability of clay slopes.” Geotechnique 14 (2): 77–102. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1964.14.2.77.
Suroor, A. H. M. 1998. “Delayed failure of overconsolidated clays under sustained loads.” Master’s thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M Univ.
Tavenas, F., J. P. Des Rosiers, S. Leroueil, P. La Rochelle, and M. Roy. 1979. “The use of strain energy as a yield and creep criterion for lightly overconsolidated clays.” Geotechnique 29 (3): 285–303. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1979.29.3.285.
Tavenas, F., and S. Leroueil. 1977. “Effects of stresses and time on yielding of clays.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., 9th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 319–326. Tokyo: Japanese Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering.
Varnes, D. J. 1982. “Time-deformation relations in creep to failure of earth materials.” In Vol. 2 of Proc., 7th Southeast Asian Geotechnical Conf., edited by I. McFeat-Smith and P. Lumb, 107–130. Klong Luang, Thailand: Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society.
Vermeer, P. A., and H. P. Neher. 1999. “A soft soil model that accounts for creep.” In Proc., Int. Symp. Beyond 2000 in Computational Geotechnics, 249–261. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema.
Vyalov, S. 1986. “Rheological fundaments of soil mechanics.” In Vol. 36 of Developments in geotechnical engineering. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Wong, R. C., and S. Varatharajan. 2014. “Viscous behavior of clays in one-dimensional compression.” Can. Geotech. J. 51 (7): 795–809. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0198.
Yin, Z.-Y., M. Karstunen, C. Chang, M. Koskinen, and M. Lojander. 2011. “Modeling time-dependent behavior of soft sensitive clay.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 137 (11): 1103–1113. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000527.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 9 • September 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 6, 2018
Accepted: Feb 5, 2019
Published online: Jun 27, 2019
Published in print: Sep 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Nov 27, 2019
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.