NPTEL- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering

Chapter 4 Lecture 19 Stresses in Soil Mass-3 Topics

1.2.3 Axial compression tests 1.2.4 Axial extension tests 1.2.5 Critical Void Ratio

1.2.3 Axial compression tests

1. Radial confining stress constant and axial stress increased. This is the test procedure described above. 2. Axial stress constant and radial confining stress decreased. 3. Mean principal stress constant and radial stress decreased. For drained compression tests, is equal to the major effective principal stress 1 and is equal to the minor effective principal stress 3 which is equal to the intermediate effective principal stress 2 . For the test listed under item 3, the mean principal stress . . , ( 1 + 2 + 3 )/3, is kept constant. Or, in other words, 1 + 2 + 3 = = + 2 is kept constant by increasing and decreasing .

1.2.4 Axial extension tests

1. Radial stress r kept constant and axial stress a decreased. 2. Axial stress constant and radial stress increased. 3. Mean principal stress constant and radial stress increased. For all drained extension tests at failure, is equal to the minor effective principal stress 3 , and r is equal to the major effective principal stress 1 which is equal to the intermediate effective principal stress 2 .

1.2.5 Critical Void Ratio

An increase or decrease of volume means of change in the void ratio of soil. The nature of the change of the void ratio with strain for loose and dense sands is shown in figure 9.

Dept. of Civil Engg. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

NPTEL- Advanced Geotechnical Engineering

Figure 9 Definition of critical void ratio The concept of critical void ratio was first introduced in 1938 by A. Casagrande to study liquefaction of granular soils. When a natural deposit of saturated sand that has a void ratio greater than the critical void ratio is subjected to a sudden shearing stress (due to an earthquake or to blasting, for example), the sand will undergo a decrease in volume. This will result in an increase of pore water pressure u. at a given depth, the effective stress is given by the relation = . If (i.e., the total stress) remains constant and u increases, the result will be a decrease in . This, in turn, will reduce the shear strength of the soil. If we shear strength is reduced to a value which is less than the applied shear stress, the soil will fall. This is called soil liquefaction.

Dept. of Civil Engg. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur