ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Published Online: 18 October 2010
Page Count: 13

Undrained Response of Clay in Hollow Cylinder Expansion Tests

Silvestri, Vincenzo
Professor, Dept. of Civil, Geological, and Mining Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique, Montréal, QC

Diab, Riad
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Pinto Engineering, Inc., York, PA

Abou Samra, Ghassan
Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil, Geological, and Mining Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique, Montréal, QC

Bravo-Jonard, Christian
Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil, Geological, and Mining Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique, Montréal, QC

(Received 25 September 2009; accepted 17 September 2010)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of undrained plane strain expansion tests of hollow cylindrical specimens of normally consolidated clay. The stress-strain curves and the total stress paths are first deduced from the experimental radial pressure-expansion relationships by using Nadai’s total stress approach. The stress-strain curves are then compared with theoretical relations based on the modified Cam clay theory. The effective stress paths, which are obtained by subtracting measured pore water pressure from the total stress paths, are also compared with those derived from the modified Cam clay. Finally, the undrained shear strengths, calculated from both Nadai’s approach and the modified Cam clay, are compared with values determined by using an expression based upon an elastic perfectly plastic model.

Keywords:
expansion tests, hollow cylinder tests, normally consolidated clay, modified Cam clay, stress-strain curves, stress paths, undrained, plane strain conditions

Paper ID: GTJ102749
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ102749
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