Advanced Statistical Analysis for Relationships between Particle Morphology (Size and Shape) and Shear (Static and Dynamic) Characteristics of Sands

Abstract

Morphology properties of naturally occurring sandy soil deposits are a consequence of the past geological transport history which gives rise to their different shape and size distributions. Five sand samples with different particle size and shape distributions were analysed statistically. Cluster analysis, performance indicators and probability distributions were used to find a representative shape parameter value. Static and dynamic tests were also contemporarily done to study the shear characteristics of the samples. Dimensionless relationships of the critical shear stress (τcr) normalised with respect to the normal stress (σN) against the representative values are presented. Dynamic testing on the samples showed that the modulus reduction curve (G/Gmax) and damping ratio (D) were also dependent on the morphology characteristics of the sand samples.