Soil Mechanics I

5 Soil Strength

1. Mohr-Coulomb envelope
2. Critical state; critical strength
3. Residual strength
4. CSL in 3D
5. Undrained strength
6. Peak strength
7. Strength of unsaturated soils
8. Interpretation of strength data

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 Strength

Mohr - Coulomb envelope

f = c' + f' tg' (subscript f means 'failure')

f = (1' 3') sin 2

f' = (1' + 3') + (1' 3') cos 2

= 45 + '

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 Strength of soils

Idealized shear test

(Drained, u = const):

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 Definition of critical state

...during shearing after sufficient strain the soil reaches a uniquely defined
state - ideal plasticity - critical state

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 Definition of critical state

Critical State (shear) + Compressibility:

Wet side of critical Dry side of critical

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 Definition of critical state

Critical State (shear) + Compressibility:

q = M p'
e = e + Cc log p'
( = v + ln p')

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 Definition of critical state

CSL in 3D v:q:p' (e:q:p'; w:q:p'...)

[1]
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 Definition of critical state

Detail: during shear a stochastic movement of grains ... even decay of grains (crushing)

Neglecting detail continuous process yielding dissipation of energy -

FRICTION described by q=Mp'.

Detail: during shear a stochastic change of distance between grains

Neglecting detail - change of v = VOLUME CHANGE COMPRESSION

described by =v+lnp'.

Concept of critical state describes at phenomenological (macro) level the

microstructural processes.

Developed for paste = reconstituted soil

CSSM however is a general theoretical framework for soil behaviour

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 Undrained Strength

S = 1; undrained event w = const (i.e., n = const; e = const; ...)

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 Undrained Strength

S = 1; undrained event w = const (i.e., n = const; e = const; ...)

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 Peak Strength

NC (loose) vs OC (dense) soil:

...dependence on e normalization
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 Normalization (Peak Strength)

Series of 3 undrained triaxial tests

NC at p'=a; 2a; 3a

[1]
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 Normalization (Peak Strength)

Series of 3 undrained triaxial tests

Stress-strain diagrams are similar; at a suitable non-dimensional plot they merge/coincide

normalization

(If normalization successful, the behaviour is identical...(so called 'physical isomorphism'))

[1]
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 Normalization (Peak Strength)

Normalization
by equivalent/Hvorslev stress at NCL, or
by stress at CSL

[2]
logc' = (e -ea) / Cc

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 Peak Strength

Peak Strength normalization for MC strength envelope

[2]

Despite normalizing the straight line approximations cannot describe the peak strength
envelope successfully:

cp' and p' depend on stress level (on the interval of stress during the experiments)

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 Peak Strength

Peak Strength - Hvorslev's M-C peak strength envelope

p'=cp'(e) + p' tgp'

p' constant - not changing with e

cp'(e) increasing with decreasing e not

a parameter
[2]

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 Peak Strength

M-C equation for Hvorslev's M-C peak strength envelope

p'=cp'(e) + p' tgp'

cp'(e) is relevant for Peak Strength for both fine-grained soils (clay)
and coarse-grained soils (sand) not linked to the forces
between grains/particles

cp'(e) is the value on the vertical axis depending on e; v; w; n

not a parameter

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 Peak Strength

Peak Strength normalization for Hvorslev's M-C peak strength envelope

[2]
Normalization by c': cp' = cp'(e) / c'

From the figure: cp' = tgc'- tgp' (i.e. cp' and p' are not independent)

p'/c'=cp' + p'/c' tgp' = (tgc'- tgp') + (p'/c') tgp'

If the normalized strength envelope is linear cp', p' not depending on e

cp', p' material parameters

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 Peak Strength

Peak Strength power law strength envelope (rock mechanics: Hoek-Brown

strength)

[2]

Peak envelope is curved since uncemented soils exhibit c' = 0 pro '=0
p' = a p'b

log p' = log a + b logp'

a and b are parameters depending on the state (w, e, etc., i.e., on stress again...)

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 Peak Strength

Peak Strength power law strength envelope (rock mechanics: Hoek-Brown

strength)

[2]

Normalising:
p'/c' = A (p'/c')B = tg c' (p'/c')B

log (p'/c') = log(tg c') + B (p'/c')

B is a (real) parameter depending on grains/mineralogy only, not on the state

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 Peak Strength

Peak Strength secant peak friction angle

Effect of Dilation (dilatancy angle)

[2]

'/' = tg (c' + p)

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 Peak Strength - Summary

In Summary:
Three ways to interpret the peak strength data
In practice the least reasonable is used

[2]

At least a stress range must be given if the linear M-C peak strength
envelope is used

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 Strength of Unsaturated Soils

Capillary Suction considered a stress parameter in unsaturated soils

f = c + ( - ua)f tg + (ua - uw)f tgb

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 .Interpretation of strength tests

UU triaxial tests on fine-grained soil:

MV(F7), IP=39, wL=75, Sr=0,98

[...from a site investigation report]

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 .Interpretation of strength tests
UU test on unsaturated soil
B<1u < ; different (ua-uw) for different 3 different initial states for A-A3 originally
identical specimens; in shearing further ubigger Mohr's circle for higher net stress (b<')

[3]

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 .Interpretation of strength tests

UU tests cont.

Unsaturated soils, or cavitation in shearing OC saturated soils the initial part not
relevant...
[3]

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 .Interpretation of strength tests

UU tests cont.

u cu strength envelope (total parameters in practice) from UU or CU triaxial tests

dependence on state (w; e...)
dependence on loading rate
u and cu are no parameters for strength (have no meaning!)
cannot be used in practice
just an incorrect interpretation of the test results (empiricism)

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 Strength

Summary and Typical Values

cr' = critical strength = real parameter (a constant for given soil)

Quartzy Sand cr' = 32 35
Bohemian loess (silty clay) cr' = ca 32
clay - depending on mineralogy:
London Clay cr' = ca 22
Brno (Vienna) Tegel cr' = ca 25
North Bohemian clays cr' = ca 25-26
Kaolin Clay cr' = ca 25-27

r' = residual strength = real parameter (a constant for given soil)

r' 1/2cr'

su = undrained strength dependence on w; e;... (not a constant (material parameter))

at wL: su 2-3 kPa; at wP: su 200-300kPa
soft clay su 20 kPa, firm clay su > 50 kPa...
NOT TO BE TABLED (codes, standards....)!

u 0; cu strength envelope (total parameters) from UU or CU triaxial tests - no meaning,

no use

p' cp' = peak strength dependence on w; e;... (not a constant (material parameter))
NOT TO BE TABLED (codes, standards....)!

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 Literature

http://labmz1.natur.cuni.cz/~bhc/s/sm1/

Atkinson, J.H. (2007) The mechanics of soils and foundations. 2 nd ed. Taylor & Francis.

Further reading:
Wood, D.M. (1990) Soil behaviour and critical state soil mechanics. Cambridge Univ.Press.
Mitchell, J.K. and Soga, K (2005) Fundamentals of soil behaviour. J Wiley.
Atkinson, J.H: and Bransby, P.L. (1978) The mechanics of soils. McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-084077-2.
Bolton, M. (1979) A guide to soil mechanics. Macmillan Press, ISBN 0-33318931-0.
Craig, R.F. (2004) Soil mechanics. Spon Press.
Holtz, R.D. and Kovacs, E.D. (1981) An introduction to geotechnical engineering, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-
13-484394-0
Feda, J. (1982) Mechanics of particulate materials, Academia-Elsevier.)

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 References used figures etc.

[1] Atkinson, J.H. and Bransby, P.L. (1978) The mechanics of soils. An introduction to critical state soil
mechanics. McGraw-Hill, Maidenhead (UK).
[2] Atkinson, J.H. (2007) The mechanics of soils and foundations. 2nd ed. Taylor & Francis.
[3] Fredlund, D.G. and Rahardjo, H. (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. J Wiley&Sons.

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