Study on Large-Scale Direct Shear Test on Soil–Rock Mixture in an Immersion State under Water
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 23, Issue 2
Abstract
Soil–rock mixture (S–RM) is a natural geomaterial with multiple grain grades. It has dramatic trans-scale and hierarchical natural characteristics, and its mechanical properties are dramatically influenced by water. Various S–RM samples with multiple grain grades in engineering in situ state were prepared for large-scale and conventional direct shear tests in a native state and an immersion state under water to investigate the shear strength and deformation characteristics of S–RMs. The experimental results show that the S–RM in the natural state has high shear strength; the cohesion c is 44.0 kPa, and the internal friction angle φ is 34.7°. The shear strength of the S–RM after water immersion drops significantly: the cohesion c is 45.7 kPa, and the internal friction angle φ is 7.7°. The research results indicate that the cohesion of S–RM is mainly provided by the shear bond strength of the coarse grains, the development of which is governed by the gradation and surface topography of mineral grain and affected by constraint conditions. The interpretation of the sharp drop in the shear strength of S–RM after water immersion is that the sliding friction resistance between coarse grains and clay membrane and the occlusion friction resistance generated by the rotation transfer of coarse grains through clay membrane decreases sharply as the clay membrane around coarse grains becomes substantially soft. The shear strength of S–RM presents a dramatic scale effect and engineering design may come across major deviation and adventure when it adopts shear strength parameters determined by small-scale testing apparatus.
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Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (52078142) and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, China (202002030194).
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 11, 2022
Accepted: Sep 2, 2022
Published online: Dec 13, 2022
Published in print: Feb 1, 2023
Discussion open until: May 13, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Coarse-grained soils
- Continuum mechanics
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Foundation construction
- Foundations
- Friction
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Grain (material)
- Laboratory tests
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Shear strength
- Shear tests
- Soil mechanics
- Soil mixing
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Soil water
- Soils (by type)
- Solid mechanics
- Strength of materials
- Tests (by type)
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