ISSN: 1945-7545
Page Count: 13

Influence of Test Chamber Boundary Conditions on Sand Bed Response

Al-Douri, RH
Research post graduate student, School of Civil and Mining Engineering, University of Sydney, New South Wales

Hull, TS
Professional officer, School of Civil and Mining Engineering, University of Sydney, New South Wales

Poulos, HG
ProfessorProfessorChairman of Coffey Partners Int., School of Civil and Mining Engineering, University of SydneyPty, Ltd., New South WalesNew South Wales

Abstract

Two series of tests were performed on calcareous and silica sands in different test chamber sizes and with different base conditions to investigate the influence of test chamber boundary conditions on model pile foundation behavior.

The first series of tests investigated the effects of shear resistance between the soil and the internal wall of the test chamber upon the distribution of vertical stress down the chamber, which in turn influences the behavior of model foundations tested in the sand bed. The measured values of the vertical stress developed at the base of the sand bed show good agreement with theoretical predictions. The second series of tests studied the surface deflection of calcareous sand in the largest of the chambers during consolidation and also during the process of foundation loading. The results of this series of tests have been compared with results from other published data and are found to be in reasonable agreement.

Keywords:
calcareous soils, consolidation, sands, foundations, model tests, piles, soil mechanics

Paper ID: GTJ10295J
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ10295J
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.