Failure of Saturated Sandy Soils Due to Increase in Pore Water Pressure

This dissertation, "Failure of Saturated Sandy Soils Due to Increase in Pore Water Pressure" by Sainulabdeen Mohamed, Junaideen, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled FAILURE OF SATURATED SANDY SOILS DUE TO INCREASE IN PORE WATER PRESSURE Submitted by Sainulabdeen Mohamed Junaideen for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in January 2005 Most slope failures are attributable to an increase in pore water pressure during or following periods of intense rainfall. These failures are induced by reduction of effective confining stress whilst shear stress remains nearly constant, as opposed to the failures caused by increasing shear stress in standard laboratory tests. Although the significance of the different stress paths has been recognized, studies of soil behaviour in constant shear stress path, which closely represents conditions during a rise in pore water pressure, have been scarce. Furthermore, past studies suggest that the steady state line is not unique and the volume change tendency of soils is stress path-dependent. These findings make it difficult to predict the behaviour of soils during a rise in pore water pressure. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need to study such behaviour as rainfall-induced slope failures occur in various types of soils and occasionally turn into debris flows, posing a serious risk to both life and property. The principal objectives of this study were to characterize the soil behaviour during a rise in pore water pressure and to examine existing theories in respect of the instability of soils. A comprehensive testing program, which included load-controlled constant shear stress path tests and standard strain rate-controlled undrained tests, was conducted on completely decomposed granites. Specimens prepared at various densities were used for the tests. A fast data-acquisition system was utilized so that readings during rapid deformations could also be recorded. The study's findings showed that the steady state line was reasonably unique for a given soil and that the volume change tendency was not path-dependent. The steady state concept could be used to explain soil behaviour during a rise in pore water pressure; and the difference between the current void ratio and the void ratio at the steady state at the current stress level could be used to characterize soil behaviour. Instability of the soils occurs at higher stress ratios in the constant shear stress path than in the undrained loading stress path. To define the instability state due to a rise in pore water pressure, the post-peak portion of undrained effective stress paths is of very limited use for this type of soil. Conversely, using the constant shear test results, the instability state can be adequately defined for soils of various densities. Furthermore, the concept of collapse surface can be extended to define the instability state of soils of various densities due to undrained loading. DOI: 10.5353/th_b3070854 Subjects: Shear strength of soilsSlopes (Soil mechanics)Sandy soils - Testing