SEDL / STP / STP654-EB / STP35686S

A Review of Factors Affecting Cyclic Triaxial Tests

Townsend, FC
Research civil engineer, Soils and Pavements Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.

Pages: 28    Published: Jan 1978

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Abstract

The effects of testing procedures and material characteristics on the cyclic triaxial strength of cohesionless soils were reviewed with the intent of categorizing the significance of these factors for cognizance in future testing standards. It was found that specimen preparation methods, differences between intact and reconstituted specimens, density, and prestraining have major effects on cyclic strength. Intermediate but significant effects influencing cyclic strength are confining stress, loading wave form, material grain size (D ⁵⁰) and gradation, overconsolidation ratio (OCR), and consolidation stress ratio (K ^c). Other factors having minor effects are freezing intact specimens, loading frequency, specimen size, and frictionless caps and bases.

Future testing programs or standards should consider these factors and their effects on test results.