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Abstract: An accurate prediction of the load capacity of a laterally loaded pile at a permissible displacement is an important concern at the design stage. In contrast to many sophisticated methods, Broms’ method based on moment equilibrium has been preferred by engineers to predict the load capacities of laterally loaded piles due to both its simplicity and because it is established on a way of hand calculation. However, Broms’ method typically overestimates a pile’s lateral load capacity as it requires a constant coefficient of horizontal subgrade reaction (nh) into analyses, regardless of the magnitude of the pile’s top displacement. In this study, modified coefficients of subgrade reactions(nh*) that are sensitive to the pile’s top displacement in cohesionless soils are first proposed to improve the performance level of Broms’ method for the prediction of the load capacity of a laterally loaded pile as the pile’s top displacement increases. The modified values of nh* are calibrated using 45 independently free-head, single-driven, full-scale pile tests from 23 sites in cohesionless soils. It is demonstrated that Broms’ method with nh* would correctly estimate a pile’s lateral load-deflection behavior with accuracy levels similar to more complicated methods.
Keywords: Broms' method, coefficient of horizontal subgrade reaction, p-y curves, strain wedge model
Published in DKUM: 11.10.2018; Views: 1380; Downloads: 617
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Abstract: This study investigates the effect of particles roundness and morphology on the shear failure mechanism of soil. A strip footing was modeled under laboratory conditions. Calcareous soil was tested with three roundness classes: angular, rounded and well-rounded shapes with sizes of 0.30 mm to 4.75 mm. These were divided into six different groups at three relative densities of 30%, 50% and 70%. A series of photographs was taken during the tests and analyzed using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) method to understand the soil-deformation mechanism. The results showed that increasing the sample sizes increased the affected area of the soil. At the same time, increasing the relative density caused a punching failure mechanism that went towards the general failure. The shear failure mechanism of the soil changed from general toward punching shear failure with increasing particle roundness. This effect was larger with the smaller materials. Underneath the affected layers of soil, the angular samples were deeper than the rounded and well-rounded samples. The affected depth in the angular soil was approximately 1.5B in the smallest size group. This was more than 3B and near 4B in the largest size group. Both the sides and the underlying soil layers should be considered on angular soils. The area under the footing becomes more important than the side parts after increasing the roundness of the particles.
Keywords: particle roundness, morphology of particles, shear failure mechanism, strip footing, PIV method, ultimate bearing capacity
Published in DKUM: 11.10.2018; Views: 1653; Downloads: 523
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Abstract: Conventional geostress measurement methods are limited by deficiencies including the measurable depth, the complexity, and the long duration of operation. To address these problems and achieve the measurement of geostress in deep wells under conditions of complex high pressures and high temperatures, we propose a new measurement method for geostress based on an integrated drilling and optical microscopy system. Its innovative integrated structure eliminates the problems associated with complex procedures and depth limits, and avoids rock creep caused by long delays, significantly improving the accuracy and range of the measurements. It works by using microscopic imaging and direct contact probes to capture the changes of a borehole’s cross-sectional outlines before and after stress relief. The resulting images are analyzed with search circles to obtain the positions of probe apices, which can be fitted into ellipses that describe the outlines, and calculate the state of the stress. The validity and accuracy of the method was verified by in-door tests and field applications in the ZK1 borehole. The results show that: (1) the integrated system can be used to measure micrometer-grade deformations; (2) the searchcircle approach can accurately obtain the positions of probe apices; and (3) the stress measurement method based on the system is accurate and feasible.
Keywords: geostress, probe, optical microscopy, measurement while drilling, search circle
Published in DKUM: 11.10.2018; Views: 1594; Downloads: 591
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Abstract: The paper presents a 3D analysis (3DA) to evaluate the particle shape and size of silica and calcareous sands. The particles of calcareous sand are found to be less spherical than those of silica and crushed calcareous sands. Furthermore, the results indicate that the average sphericity (SPH) holds an inverse relationship to the particle size. However, in each sample the larger particles have higher SPHs than the smaller particles. In addition, the 3DA yields smaller particles than the sieve analysis (SA). Owing to a variety of particle shapes, causing particle interlocking, especially for calcareous sand, the particles cannot pass through the sieves by their shortest dimension. This paper discusses the effects of particle characteristics on the shear strength properties. Although the calcareous sand shows higher peak and residual shear strength properties, it tends to reach a lower shear strength at a small shear strain and a lower dilation than the silica sand. Moreover, the findings prove that the residual shear strength increases with the mean particle size. The sample with smaller particles shows less dilation under low vertical stress, while high vertical stress yields less compression. The relationship between the particle shape and shear strength properties is discussed based on the 3DA results.
Keywords: shear strength, sphericity, particle shape, calcareous sand
Published in DKUM: 18.06.2018; Views: 1221; Downloads: 68
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Abstract: Unsaturated soils are maintaining their importance for researchers and there is still much need to investigate the many engineering aspects of these soils. A new technique is proposed here to predict the variation of the bearing capacity of unsaturated soils with matric suction. The proposed method is an extension of conventional bearing-capacity theories and conceptually based on the logarithmic model of the shear strength of unsaturated soils, which only include one unknown, unsaturated parameter (the airentry value, AEV). The possibility of predicting the unsaturated bearing capacity of soils is shown by the saturated effective shear-strength parameters c' and Ø' and the AEV from the soil-water retention curve (SWRC). Considering the necessity of validating new methods with other researchers’ data, the proposed equation is tested using the published unsaturated experimental study by the author, in addition to some reported experimental studies on the shear strength for unsaturated soils and also a model footing loading on unsaturated sand under controlled suction conditions. The results of the study indicate that there is a good comparison between the “unsaturated bearing capacities” obtained via predicted and measured unsaturated strength parameters (ctotal , Ø) and also between the measured/ calculated bearing values of a model footing loading. Consequently, it is shown that, without needing complex unsaturated testing facilities, the proposed equation is capable of predicting the unsaturated bearing capacity for both fine-grained and sandy soils, requiring only one unsaturated parameter, which can be obtained from the SWRC or predicted using the basic soil-index properties.
Keywords: unsaturated soils, unsaturated bearing capacity, suction strength, foundation design
Published in DKUM: 18.06.2018; Views: 1252; Downloads: 77
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