Artificially cemented sand under multiaxial loading

Abstract

Distinct improvement techniques can be used when civil engineering structures are to be built on soils that do not present suitable mechanical characteristics. The soil improvement techniques can vary from compaction to chemical and mechanical stabilisation. This work focuses on the specific case of granular soils treated with low amount of cement. The study aims to investigate the behaviour of a cemented sand under multiaxial loading conditions. A series of advanced tests on reconstituted cemented sand were conducted in a Cubical Cell Apparatus (CCA) and exploration of material response including failure limits under different constant stress paths (θ = 0° and θ = 120°) in the octahedral (π) plane were performed. Results showed strength is higher in vertical direction than in horizontal direction.