Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering

Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering

Evaluating the ability of equivalent intergranular void ratio as a state variable in investigating the undrained behavior of silty sand

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hadi Bahadori 1
Vahid Mohammadi 2
1 Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
2 Instructor, Department of Civil Engineering, Aeen Kamal Higher Education Institute, Urmia, Iran
10.22065/jsce.2024.457250.3414
Abstract
Most sandy sediments contain different amounts of fine silt grains, which have a significant effect on the behavior of the sand. Therefore, the engineering properties of silty sand have attracted the attention of many researchers. In this regard, in the technical literature, two indicators of intergranular void ratio (eg) and equivalent inergranular void ratio (egeq) are proposed as density variables in the investigation of the behavior of mixed soils. egeq is defined as a function of fine-grained value with parameter b, which can be calculated by two methods of back-analysis of experimental data or using the provided relations (the most common of them is bRahman). In this research, three groups of undrained compressive tests are performed on Firouzkoh sand samples with a low percentage of silt (3.0, 5 and 7%) based on the same values of eg and egeq with the two stated calculation methods of b. In the results of tests with eg and egeq using the bRahman relationship, with small changes in fine grain, a sharp change from contractive behavior to dilative behavior is observed, which is inconsistent with the logic and percentage of added fine grain. Therefore, eg and egeq using bRahman are not a reasonable and appropriate state variable to characterize the behavior of mixed soils. But the results of the samples containing a low percentage of silt based on egeq (b determined by Back-Calculation method) show a reasonable behavior and proportional to the percentage of fine grains added. Therefore, egeq calculated by this method and its related density (D_r^(s*)) are suggested as a new and alternative index for mixed soils with sand dominant fabric.
Keywords
Equivalent Intergranular Void Ratio
Back-Calculation
Firoozkuh Sand
Contractive Behavior
Dilative Behavior

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 16 May 2024
  • Revise Date 26 June 2024
  • Accept Date 10 July 2024