Search results for " suction"
showing 5 items of 15 documents
Hydraulic Characterization of a Pervious Concrete for Deep Draining Trenches
2018
Reduction in pore water pressure is an useful strategy to improve the stability of slopes. Deep draining trenches can be used for this purpose. For the realization of deep trenches, the usual conventional construction techniques are not adequate and the use of adjacent vertical panels, built by means of the methods well-established for diaphragm walls, is necessary. However, unbonded materials (i.e., gravels) cannot be used, because the excavation of a panel adjacent to one already built will cause instability. For this scope a bonded material such as pervious concrete can be used. It must have high permeability; filtering capacity, in order to prevent internal erosion of the soil in which …
Volume change behaviour of a compacted scaly clay during cyclic suction changes
2010
The research presented in this paper focuses on the investigation and modelling of the volume change response of compacted tectonised clay samples subjected to several wetting and drying cycles in controlled-suction oedometers. Oedometer tests were carried out under different values of constant vertical net stress, and wetting and drying cycles were performed varying applied matric suction between 10 and 800 kPa. The investigation was complemented with a study of the material microstructure to support the interpretation of the overall mechanical response. At a microscopic level, the material is characterized by different types of particle assemblages, scales, and clay aggregates. One of th…
Shear Strength of a Compacted Scaly Clay from Suction-Controlled Triaxial Tests
2012
The paper presents the results of an experimental research aimed at investigating the shear strength characteristics of an unsaturated compacted scaly clay. Shear strength was investigated by suction-controlled triaxial compression tests on dynamically compacted samples. Collected results point out that suction effects on stiffness and shear strength can be very different for suction values applied lower or greater than air entry value (AEV), corresponding to the material void ratio.
Evaluation of cliff recession in the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento (Sicily)
2015
Abstract The sacral complex of the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, added in the UNESCO Heritage Site List, stands over the crest of a rigid calcarenite cuesta, which overlies a layer of partially saturated (S = 6–12%) carbonate sand. In turn, the sand stratum lies on a thick stratum of clays. The environment is highly prone to landslides as highlighted by several previous studies that identify the undermining of slopes and the discontinuity pattern, occurred in the late Neotectonic phase, as causes of cliff failure. For wider and less exposed areas, where the undermining local instabilities can be present because of the specific morphology of the site, a recent research has proposed a new in…
Hydro-mechanical behaviour of a sandy silt from a river embankment
2020
The paper presents the results of an experimental campaign aimed at characterizing the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a sandy silt from a river embankment. Due to continuous river level fluctuations and changing climatic and environmental conditions, flood embankment materials experience frequent variations in degree of saturation and suction values. Such variations strongly impact the earthwork performance both in terms of seepage and stability conditions. For these reasons, a detailed characterization of the material behaviour in unsaturated conditions was carried out. Experiments were designed in order to highlight the response of the involved soil in terms of changes in matric suction an…