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    Ex5 - Solution

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    Nicolas Saliba
    The document describes an exercise involving characterization of the critical state for drained and undrained consolidated drained triaxial (CTC) tests on clay. For a drained CTC test, the stress path, deviatoric stress, mean effective stress, specific volume, and volumetric strain are calculated at critical state. The specific volume at critical state is higher than initial for overconsolidated clay, indicating dilatant behavior. For an undrained CTC test, the stress paths differ, with total stress path not equal to effective stress path due to excess pore pressure. Values at critical state are calculated, where specific volume equals initial value with zero volume change. The critical state shear strength angle is defined.

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    Ex5 - Solution

    Uploaded by

    Nicolas Saliba
    82 views5 pages
    The document describes an exercise involving characterization of the critical state for drained and undrained consolidated drained triaxial (CTC) tests on clay. For a drained CTC test, the stress path, deviatoric stress, mean effective stress, specific volume, and volumetric strain are calculated at critical state. The specific volume at critical state is higher than initial for overconsolidated clay, indicating dilatant behavior. For an undrained CTC test, the stress paths differ, with total stress path not equal to effective stress path due to excess pore pressure. Values at critical state are calculated, where specific volume equals initial value with zero volume change. The critical state shear strength angle is defined.

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    The document describes an exercise involving characterization of the critical state for drained and undrained consolidated drained triaxial (CTC) tests on clay. For a drained CTC test, the stress path, deviatoric stress, mean effective stress, specific volume, and volumetric strain are calculated at critical state. The specific volume at critical state is higher than initial for overconsolidated clay, indicating dilatant behavior. For an undrained CTC test, the stress paths differ, with total stress path not equal to effective stress path due to excess pore pressure. Values at critical state are calculated, where specific volume equals initial value with zero volume change. The critical state shear strength angle is defined.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    82 views5 pages

    Ex5 - Solution

    Uploaded by

    Nicolas Saliba
    The document describes an exercise involving characterization of the critical state for drained and undrained consolidated drained triaxial (CTC) tests on clay. For a drained CTC test, the stress path, deviatoric stress, mean effective stress, specific volume, and volumetric strain are calculated at critical state. The specific volume at critical state is higher than initial for overconsolidated clay, indicating dilatant behavior. For an undrained CTC test, the stress paths differ, with total stress path not equal to effective stress path due to excess pore pressure. Values at critical state are calculated, where specific volume equals initial value with zero volume change. The critical state shear strength angle is defined.

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    CIVIL ENGINEERING SECTION – MASTER SEMESTERS 1 & 3 – 2022-2023

    GEOMECHANICS
    DR. A. KOLIJI

    Exercise 5 – 29.10.2022

    Critical state concept

    Problem statement
    The exercise deals with the characterization of the critical state reached in drained and undrained CTC tests.
    The following information is given:
    (i) the initial condition of a clay specimen in terms of initial mean effective stress (p’0) and initial specific
    volume (ν0)
    (ii) the parameters of the normal compression line (NCL) and of the critical state line (CSL)
    (iii) the condition in which the triaxial test is performed (i.e. drained or undrained)

    The normal compression line and the critical state line of the considered clay are characterized by the
    following parameters:
    𝑁 = 2.95,  𝜆 = 0.15,  𝛤 = 2.75,  𝑀 = 0.85
    The clay specimen is isotropically compressed in drained condition (isotropic compression stage) up to 𝑝′ =
    300𝑘𝑃𝑎, the specific volume at the end of the isotropic compression is 𝑣 = 2.09. The initial pore water
    pressure (pw,0) is approximately equal to 0. Then, the specimen is subjected to the shearing phase. Consider
    the shearing phase performed in drained condition for Question 1 and undrained condition for Question 2.

    Question 1 – Drained CTC test


    1. Sketch the critical state line and the stress path followed during the shearing stage of a CTC drained
    test in the planes (𝑞 − 𝑝′) and (𝑣 − ln (𝑝′)).
     Calculate the corresponding values of deviatoric stress (q), mean total stress (p), mean effective
    stress (p’), specific volume (ν), volumetric strain (εvol) at the critical state.
     How does the specific volume at the critical state (νcs) change with respect to the specific volume at
    the end of the isotropic compression (ν0) for an overconsolidated (OC) clay during the shearing
    stage of a CTC drained test. What is the physical meaning of this behaviour?

    Question 2 – Undrained CTC test


     Sketch the critical state line and the stress path followed during the shearing stage of a CTC
    undrained test in the planes (𝑞 − 𝑝′) and (𝑣 − ln (𝑝′)).
     Comment on the difference between the total stress path and the effective stress path during the
    shearing stage of a CTC undrained test. How is it different from the drained case?
     Calculate the corresponding values of deviatoric stress (q), mean total stress (p), mean effective
    stress (p’), specific volume (ν), volumetric strain (εvol), pore water pressure (Δpw) at the critical state.
    Which is the constant volume/critical state shear strength angle φ’cv of the analysed soil?
     Does the critical state line depend on the initial void ratio?
    Geomechanics
    Definitions of interest

    The critical state line (CSL) is defined by the following two equations:
    𝑞 = 𝑀𝑝′ in (𝑞 − 𝑝′) plane (1)
    𝜈 = 𝛤 − 𝜆 𝑙𝑛 𝑝 ′ in (𝑣 − ln (𝑝′)) plane (2)
    On the other hand, the volumetric strain can be written as follow (see annex):
    𝜀 =− (3)

    in which ν is the specific volume

    Question 1 - Drained CTC test

     Figure A shows the stress path followed during the shearing stage of the drained CTC test in the planes
    (𝑞 − 𝑝′) and (𝑣 − ln (𝑝′)). When the shearing phase takes place in drained conditions there is no
    generation of pore water pressure, therefore p’=p (if the initial pore water pressure is equal to zero).

    Figure A. Stress path (red line) followed during the shearing stage of the drained CTC test
     Calculation of the deviatoric stress at the critical state 𝑞 :
    q = Mp′

    𝑞 and 𝑝′ are two unknowns, so we need a second equation that is given by the stress path:
    q
    q =3 p −p → p′ = + p′
    3

    So, we can write:

    Géomécanique 2
    3 3
    q = Mp′ = 0.85 ∙ 300 = 355.81 kPa
    3−M 3 − 0.85

    Calculation of the mean effective stress at critical state using the equation of the CSL in the (q - p’)
    plane:
    q 355.81
    p′ = = = 418.60 kPa
    M 0.85

    Calculation of the specific volume at critical state using the equation of the CSL in the (v - ln(p’)) plane:
    v = Γ − λ ∙ ln p = 2.75 − 0.15 ∙ ln(418.60) = 1.84

    Calculation of volumetric strain at critical state:


    (v − v ) 1.84 − 2.09
    ε =− =− = 0.12
    v 2.09
     If the soil is a highly overconsolidated (OC) clay the specific volume at the critical state (νcs) will be
    higher than the specific volume at the end of the isotropic compression (ν0) during the shearing stage
    of a CTC drained test. Therefore, it is said that in this case, the CSL is reached with a dilatant behaviour
    (volume expansion). If the soil is slightly overconsolidated a volume decrease during the shearing phase
    could be expected.

    Question 2 – Undrained CTC test

     Figure B shows the stress path followed during the shearing stage of the undrained CTC test in the planes
    (𝑞 − 𝑝′) and (υ - ln(p’)). When the shearing phase takes place in undrained conditions there is no water
    flow in or out of the specimen. As a consequence, an induced pore water overpressure is expected. Then,
    the total stress path is different with respect to the effective stress path and p’≠p.

    Figure B. Stress path (red line) followed during the shearing stage of the undrained CTC test

    Géomécanique 3
     When the shearing phase takes place in undrained conditions there is no water flow in or out of the
    specimen. As a consequence, an induced pore water overpressure is expected. Then, the total stress
    path is different with respect to the effective stress path and p’≠p. The critical state line is the same in
    drained and undrained conditions for a given geomaterial. What changes is the way it is reached.

     In undrained condition, the volumetric deformation is zero; therefore, the specific volume at critical state
    (νcs) is equal to its initial value (ν0).  vcs= v0 and εvol=0
    Then, using the equation of the CSL in the plane (υ - ln(p’)), it is possible to compute the mean effective
    stress at critical state (p’cs).
    (−𝜐 + Γ) (−𝜐 + Γ) (−2.09 + 2.75)
    p′ = exp = exp = exp = 81.45 kPa
    λ λ 0.15

    Calculation of the deviatoric stress at critical state (qf) using the equation of the CSL in the (q - p’) plane:
    qcs = M ⋅ p’cs = 0.85⋅81.45 = 69.23 kPa

    Calculation of the mean total stress at critical state (pf) using the equation of the total stress path:
    q = 3(p − p′ )
    q 69.23
    p = +p = + 300 = 323.08 kPa
    3 3

    Calculation of the pore water pressure at critical state (Δpw,cs):


    𝛥p , =p −p = 323.08 − 81.45 = 241.63 kPa

    Calculation of the constant volume/critical state shear strength angle φ’cv of the analysed soil:
    The Critical State Line (CSL) is given by the equation:
    𝜏 = σ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜑 in (𝜏 − σ ) plane
    From the (𝑞 − 𝑝′) plane to the (𝜏 − σ ) plane:
    3⋅𝑀 3 ⋅ 0.85
    𝜑′ = arcsin = arcsin = 22°
    6+𝑀 6 + 0.85
     The critical state shear strength is independent of the initial condition of the soil, i.e. the initial void ratio.

    Annexe
    Computing the volumetric strain εv by knowing the initial void ratio e0 and the void ratio variation Δe

    𝑉
    𝑒=
    𝑉
    𝑉 = 𝑒𝑉

    Géomécanique 4
    𝛥𝑉 = 𝛥(𝑒𝑉 ) = 𝑒 𝑉 + 𝛥𝑒𝑉 + 𝑒 𝛥𝑉 + 𝛥𝑒𝛥𝑉 − 𝑒 𝑉 = 𝛥𝑒𝑉 + 𝑒 𝛥𝑉 + 𝛥𝑒𝛥𝑉

    Being 𝛥𝑉 = 0
    𝛥𝑉 = 𝛥𝑒𝑉 (1)

    ( )
    𝜀 =− =− =− (2)

    By replacing (1) in (2):

    𝛥𝑒𝑉 𝛥𝑒 𝛥𝑒 𝛥𝑒 𝛥𝑒
    𝜀 =− =− =− =− =−
    𝑉 𝑉 𝑉 +𝑉 𝑉 +𝑉 1+𝑒
    𝑉 𝑉 𝑉

    Definition of specific volume


    𝑉 𝑉 +𝑉
    ν= = =1+𝑒
    𝑉 𝑉

    Computing the volumetric strain εv by knowing the initial specific volume ν0 and the specific volume variation
    Δν

    Being:
    𝛥𝑉
    𝜀 =−
    𝑉
    and:
    𝑉 𝑉 +𝑉
    ν= = =1+𝑒
    𝑉 𝑉
    we get:
    𝛥𝜈
    𝜀 =−
    𝜈

    Géomécanique 5

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