Effects of grain size distribution and structure on mechanical behavior of silty sands

Abstract

The triaxial compression test results of undisturbed, remo1ded and reconstituted samples are analyzed. The grain-size distributions and the structure are considered to be two main factors which influence the stress-strain and strength behavior of silty sands. When the grain size distributions are not the same, not only the undisturbed samples with structure but also the reconstituted samples with non-structure are not similar in strength. The strength of remolded samples which have the same graine-size distributions as the undisturbed samples are different from that of the undisturbed samples. The stress-strain relationship and strength behaviors of one of reconstituted silty sands are very similar to those of the undisturbed samples although their grain-size distributions are different. This kind of reconstituted silty sand can substitute for the undisturbed silty sand in the model test.