Effect of Consolidation Ratios on Maximum Dynamic Shear Modulus of Sands

Abstract eng:
The shear modulus is the most basic parameter and can be attained by the experiments in the field or in the laboratory. The maximum dynamic shear modulus obtained in the laboratory is generally for the cases of the isotropic consolidation. The most advanced apparatus for testing the dynamic shear modulus in small strain range in the laboratory now is the resonant column device. However, the most existing resonant column devices are only suitable for specimens under isotropic consolidation. Therefore, the effect of anisotropic consolidation on the maximum dynamic shear modulus is still a question to be discussed further. A formula for calculating the increment of the maximum dynamic shear modulus of anisotropically-consolidated sands is presented in the paper. The new resonant column testing device with the anisotropic consolidation function is employed to attain the formula for calculating the increment of the maximum dynamic shear modulus. The results here indicate: (1) The effect of the anisotropic consolidation on the maximum dynamic shear modulus is quite remarkable and cannot be neglected; (2) A suitable form to show this effect is to use the power function of the increment of the consolidation ratio, i.e. (kc-1)B; (3) The variation of the maximum dynamic shear modulus for the cases of kc>1 can be expressed by the relative increment formula, i.e. ΔGm/G0,m= 1+0.66(kc-1)0.54; (4) The formula presented above means that the maximum dynamic shear modulus shows a more rapid rise in the interval of kc near to 1 and a slower rise in the interval of kc far away from 1; (5) The increasing degree of the maximum shear modulus due to kc>1 is significantly larger than that described by the Hardin and Black’s formula, e.g. the increasing degree for kc from 1 to 2 in the paper is about 66% while only 15% by the Hardin and Black’s formula; (6) The consolidation ratio also should be one of the important reasons on the obvious difference between in the field and laboratory determination of the maximum dynamic shear modulus of the soils..

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