Soil Response to Repetitive Changes in Pore-Water Pressure under Deviatoric Loading

Abstract

Soils often experience repetitive changes in pore water pressure. This study explores the volumetric and shear response of contractive and dilative sand specimens subjected to repetitive changes in pore water pressure, under constant deviatoric stress in a triaxial cell. The evolution towards a terminal void ratio eT characterizes the volumetric response. The terminal void ratio eT for pressure cycles falls below the critical state line, between emin <0.95·ηcs and ratcheting takes place when the maximum stress obliquity approaches or exceeds ηmax≥0.95·ηcs. Volumetric and shear strains can accumulate when the strain level during pressure cycles exceeds the volumetric threshold strain (about 5×10-4 in this study). A particle-level analysis of contact loss and published experimental data show that the threshold strain increases with confinement po′.