A structured constitutive model for simulating the behaviour of an overconsolidated bonded clay

The paper presents some improvements in the formulation of a kinematic hardening constitutive soil model incorporating structure initially proposed for soft clays. For the modelling of overconsolidated bonded clay the elastic formulation was deemed more important. Two different alternatives, one purely empirically based the other with a background in thermodynamics were implemented. It was also found that a smooth elasto-plastic transition was required to avoid a spurious stiffness degradation response. Consequently, the hardening modulus formulation of the model was modified. The paper presents some results from a parametric analysis of the triaxial drained response of a material tailored to mimic London clay. The results chosen do not show a major difference between the chosen alternative elastic formulations, although both do improve the original model response. On the other hand the importance of ensuring a smooth elasto-plastic transition is clearly highlighted.Postprint (published version

Constitutive behaviour of a clay stabilised with alkali-activated cement based on blast furnace slag

Alkaline cements have been extensively tested for soil stabilisation in the last decade. However, only a few studies have focused on the assessment of such performance by establishing the constitutive behaviour of the cement. In this paper, we focus on the mechanical behaviour, using triaxial testing of a clay with high water content stabilised with an alkali-activated binder and the subsequent prediction of the experimental stress–strain response using a kinematic hardening constitutive model initially developed for natural clays. Monotonic consolidated undrained triaxial tests were conducted on reconstituted and stabilised clay specimens cured for 28 days to evaluate the effects of cementation on the overall shear behaviour. Alkali-activated binder was synthetised from blast furnace slag and sodium hydroxide. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed to study the microstructure, whereas leachate analyses were performed after 28 and 90 days of curing to investigate the contamination potential. The main product formed was calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) with a low CaO/SiO2 ratio, and no risk of soil contamination was found. The compressibility and undrained shear strength in the pre-yield state was found to be independent of the initial mean effective stress (p’0), unlike what was observed in the post-yield state, where the shear strength seemed to be affected by p’0. The model provided reliable predictions of the experimental results and captured the main features of the artificially cemented clay for the tested p’0 range. Such studies are fundamental to establish adequate confidence in such alternative binders—an essential aspect if their use is to become widespread in the near future.This work was funded by the Project “MINECO- New Eco-innovative Materials for Mining Infra” with reference ERA-MIN/0002/2018 and by a Ph.D. scholarship with reference SFRH/BD/132692/2017 financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European Social Fund (FSE)

A structured constitutive model for simulating the behaviour of an overconsolidated bonded clay

The paper presents some improvements in the formulation of a kinematic hardening constitutive soil model incorporating structure initially proposed for soft clays. For the modelling of overconsolidated bonded clay the elastic formulation was deemed more important. Two different alternatives, one purely empirically based the other with a background in thermodynamics were implemented. It was also found that a smooth elastoplastic transition was required to avoid a spurious stiffness degradation response. Consequently, the hardening modulus formulation of the model was modified. The paper presents some results from a parametric analysis of the triaxial drained response of a material tailored to mimic London clay. The results chosen do not show a major difference between the chosen alternative elastic formulations, although both do improve the original model response. On the other hand the importance of ensuring a smooth elasto-plastic transition is clearly highlighted

Couplage écoulement - structure pour simuler la stabilité des digues en enrochement

Un couplage fluide-structure est proposé pour étudier la stabilité des digues en enrochement sous les effets hydrodynamiques de la houle et des courants. Un code en éléments finis de Navier-Stokes  pour le calcul fluide est alors couplé à un code pour le calcul solide basé sur la méthode de l’Analyse de Déformation Discontinue (DDA). Le but est de simuler les actions hydrodynamiques sur les digues, en tenant compte de la nature de contact entre les blocs constituants la digue et de leur forme

A micromechanical investigation of diagenetically-induced changes to the anisotropic elastic properties of calcareous mudstones

Microscale diagenetic changes that occur during burial exert a profound influence on the elastic and mechanical properties of sediments—but are poorly quantified. The focus here is on how diagenesis influences the elastic properties of carbonate-rich mudstones, which are subject to a wide range of physical and chemical changes. Nanoindentation data for gas-window (180 C) Eagle Ford formation samples give intrinsic indentation moduli of the clay-sized calcite matrix of 40–50 GPa, which contrasts with 60–77 GPa for diagenetic calcite fills of foraminifera tests, closer to values for highly crystalline calcite. The matrix calcite is weakly anisotropic. Inverse analysis of immature (< 70 C) organic-rich chalks gives much lower intrinsic indentation moduli for biogenic calcite, between 17 and 30 GPa; the calcite is also more anisotropic, with values of 1.3. Diagenesis, which includes recrystallisation and pore-filling cementation, results in calcite becoming elastically stiffer and behaving in an increasingly isotropic manner, in agreement with grain scale studies using atomic force microscopy. The results demonstrate that nanoindentation can resolve diagenetic contributions to the mechanical response of mudstones, and suggest intrinsic structural changes to calcite, in addition to diagenetic cementation, need to be accounted for in rock-physics models of mud-rich sediments

A novel two-way method for dynamically coupling a hydrodynamic model with a discrete element model (DEM)

The effect of floating objects has so far been little considered for hazard risk assessment and structure design, despite being an important factor causing structural damage in flood-prone and coastal areas. In this work, a novel two-way method is proposed to fully couple a shock-capturing hydrodynamic model with a discrete element model (DEM) for simulation of complex debris-enriched flow hydrodynamics. After being validated against an idealized analytical test, the new coupled model is used to reproduce flume experiments of floating debris driven by dam-break waves. The numerical results agree satisfactorily with the experimental measurements, demonstrating the model’s capability and efficiency in simulating complex fluid-debris interactions induced by violent shallow flows

Forecasting the long-term deterioration of a cut slope in high-plasticity clay using a numerical model

This paper details development of a numerical modelling approach that has beenemployed to forecast the long-term performance of a cut slope formed in high plasticity clay. It links hydrological and mechanical behaviour in a coupled saturated and unsaturated model. This is used to investigate the influence of combined dissipation of excavation-generated excess pore water pressures and seasonal weather-driven near-surface cyclic pore water pressures. Deterioration of slope performance is defined in terms of both slope deformations (i.e. service) and factor of safety against shear failure (i.e. safety). Uniquely, the modelling approach has been validated using 16 years of measured pore water pressure data from multiple locations in a London Clay cut slope. Slope deterioration was shown to be a function of both construction-induced pore water pressure dissipation and seasonal weather driven pore water pressure cycles. These lead to both transient and permanent changes in factor of safety due to effective stress variation and mobilisation of post-peak strength reduction over time, respectively, ultimately causing shallow first-time progressive failure. It is demonstrated that this long-term (90 year) deterioration in slope performance is governed by the hydrological processes in the weathered near surface soil zone that forms following slope excavation