Numerical interpretation of the coupled hydromechanical behaviour of expansive clays in constant volume column tests

© The authors and ICE Publishing: All rights reserved, 2015.Experimental and numerical studies of the behaviour of expansive clays have been attracting increasing interest, due to their good sealing properties, which render them ideal to be used as engineered barriers (buffers) in both active (e.g. nuclear) and non-active waste disposal facilities. Both large scale and laboratory scaled experiments indicate that the sealing capabilities of the buffer are fundamentally governed by its volumetric behaviour when wetted. In this paper, a constant volume column infiltration test, performed under isothermal conditions on compacted MX80 bentonite, is modelled numerically using the Imperial College Finite Element Program (ICFEP). A modified version of the Barcelona Basic Model is used to simulate the behaviour of the buffer, which is inherently partly saturated. The numerical results agree well with the observed experimental data, especially with regard to the advancement of the wetting front. A detailed interpretation of the computed evolutions with time of stress state, suction and void ratio at different elevations along the samples axis is carried out, providing insight into the complex hydro-mechanical response of the buffer during the experiment. Indeed, even though the overall volume of the sample was kept constant, a region of localised dilation, which induced the contraction of other zones of the material, was observed to advance simultaneously with the wetting front along the height of the soil column

Numerical Modelling of Multi-directional Earthquake Loading and Its Effect on Sand Liquefaction

Earthquakes generate multi-directional ground motions, two components in the horizontal direction and one in the vertical. Nevertheless, the effect of vertical motion on site response analysis has not been the object of extensive research. The 2010/2011 Canterbury sequence of seismic events in New Zealand is a prime example among other earlier field observations strongly corroborating that the vertical acceleration may have a detrimental effect on soil liquefaction. Consequently, this study aims to provide insight into the influence of the input vertical motion on sand liquefaction. For this reason, two ground motions, with very different frequency contents, are used as the input excitations. Non-linear elasto-plastic plane strain fully coupled effective stress-based finite element analyses are conducted to investigate the occurrence of liquefaction in a hypothetical fully saturated Fraser River Sand deposit. The results indicate that the frequency content of the input motion is of utmost importance for the response of sands to liquefaction when the vertical loading is considered

The use of kinematic hardening models for predicting tunnelling-induced ground movements in London Clay

The use of a kinematic hardening soil model for predicting short- and long-term ground movements due to tunnelling in London Clay is investigated. The model is calibrated against oedometer and triaxial tests on intact samples from different units of the London Clay. The calibrated model is then used in finite-element analysis to simulate the field response at St James's Park during excavation of the Jubilee Line Extension tunnels. The finite-element predictions compare well with the available field monitoring data. The importance of using consistent initial conditions for this complex boundary value problem in conjunction with the model parameters selected is highlighted. The stiffness response of different regions of the finite-element mesh indicates that the rate at which the stiffness degrades and the stiffness response further away from the tunnel boundary affect the short-term predictions significantly. The long-term predictions confirm that the compression characteristics of the soil control the magnitude of the consolidation settlements and its permeability the shape of the long-term settlement profiles

On the assessment of energy dissipated through hysteresis in finite element analysis

The accurate reproduction of the hysteretic behaviour exhibited by soils under cyclic loading is a crucial aspect of dynamic finite element analyses and is typically described using the concept of damping ratio. In this paper, a general algorithm is presented for assessing the damping ratio simulated by any constitutive model based on the registered behaviour in three-dimensional stress-strain space. A cyclic nonlinear elastic model capable of accurately reproducing a wide range of features of soil behaviour, including the variation of damping ratio with deformation level, is chosen to illustrate the capabilities of the proposed algorithm. The constitutive model is described and subsequently employed in two sets of finite element analyses, one involving the dynamic response of a sand deposit subjected to different types of motion and another focussing on the simulation of a footing subjected to cyclic vertical loading. The application of the presented algorithm provides insight into the processes through which energy is dissipated through hysteresis

Temperature-controlled oedometer testing on compacted bentonite

A new temperature - controlled oedometer h as been designed at Imperial College London and commissioned to investig ate the thermo - hydro - mechanical behaviour of soils. Temperature control is achieved by submerging the s pecimen in a water bath. The water temperature is regulated by heaters positioned radially around the s pecimen , or by an external unit. T he temp erature can be varied between 5°C and 85 °C . The temperature gradient across the s pecimen is minimised by circulating water beneath the s pecimen through a hollow plate. A thermo - mechanical, elas tic, finite element model of the equipment has been produced using the Imperial College Finite Element Program (ICFEP). The experimental results are used to develop and validate the numerical model. The model is then used to inform and improve the experime ntal testing programme. The accuracy of temperature control has already been established. The testing programme includes heating tests at constant applied stress, and loading tests at discrete temperature values. Of particular interest is thermally - induced overconsolidation behaviour . The experimental results are used to verify the existing numerical framework and to establi sh the effect of temperature on the behaviour o f saturated soil

Stabilisation of excavated slopes in strain softening materials with piles

The use of a row of discrete vertical piles is an established method, successfully used to remediate failure of existing slopes and to stabilise potentially unstable slopes created by widening transport corridors. This paper challenges the assumptions made in current design procedures for these piles, which treat the pile only as an additional force or moment and simplify soil–pile interaction. Two-dimensional plane-strain finite-element analyses were performed to simulate the excavation of a slope in a stiff clay and the interaction of vertical piles within the slope. A non-local strain-softening model was employed for the stiff clay to reduce the mesh dependency of the solution. An extensive parametric study was performed to systematically examine the impact of pile position, dimensions (length and diameter) and time of pile construction on the stability of a cutting in London Clay, which was chosen as a representative strain-softening material. A variety of different failure mechanisms were identified, depending on pile location, dimensions and time of construction. The variability of the pile and slope interaction that was modelled suggests that an oversimplification during design could miss the critical failure mechanism or provide a conservative stabilisation solution. Given the prevalence of stiff clay slopes in the UK, increased capacity requirements of transport infrastructure and the age of slopes in this material, an informed and more realistic design of stabilisation piles will become increasingly necessary

Numerical investigation of the effects of tunnelling on existing tunnels

Construction of the Crossrail tunnels just beneath the existing Central line tunnels at the northern side of Hyde Park provided the impetus for this paper. A basic three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) model was developed to study a general case of a new tunnel (NT) crossing perpendicularly below an existing tunnel (ET). A series of 3D FE analyses was carried out and the results presented in this paper reveal some of the interaction effects. Changes in hoop forces, bending moments and lining deformations of the ET due to excavation of the NT are discussed. Conclusions are drawn about how the relative position of the excavation face of the NT in relation to the ET's axis affects the latter's behaviour. Cross-sectional and longitudinal deformations of the ET are discussed, leading to recommendations for field monitoring of similar interaction cases. Two parametric studies were also carried out to quantify the effects of the magnitude of the earth pressure balance machine face pressure and the longitudinal stiffness of the ET on the predicted behaviour of the ET due to construction of the NT