Investigation of Vibrations Influence on Clay Soil Parameters

Abstract

The behaviour of clay under different frequencies encountered during a dynamic loading events like impact, wind, explosions, seismic, machine foundations is very difficult to analyse, so an attempt has been made to study the behaviour of clay subjected to different range of frequency applied in a laboratory setting on a representative clay sample obtained from a local source in Lithuania. A detailed characterisation of clay has been conducted to classify its index properties and engineering properties to study its behaviour under static loading and subjected to cycling loading using a vibrating table to test its mechanical properties such as compressibility, cohesion, friction angle, oedometric modulus of elasticity. In this paper the range of frequencies that are to be applied to the clay sample vary between 10 Hz and 50 Hz. Direct shear tests on clay samples are produced under static and cyclic loading and investigated vibrations influence to strength parameters of soil. The effect of vibrations on clay oedometric modulus is determined by doing oedometer tests under the same conditions as shear tests. The testing showed that vibrations change mechanical properties of clay and it is important to evaluate this influence on strength parameters of soil. The investigation suggested that the behavior of clay subjected to vibrations becomes similar to undrained clay.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.17.4.16298