This study investigated the dynamic properties of red mud (RM)-reinforced volcanic ash (VA) by dynamic triaxial tests. The effects of stress state (dynamic stress sigma d, confining stress sigma 3), dynamic frequency (f) and load waveform (F) on the accumulative plastic strain (epsilon p) have been investigated. The findings indicate a significant influence of the stress state on epsilon p. When sigma d reaches 120 kPa, the specimens exhibit insufficient strength, leading to shear failure. As sigma 3 increases, the dynamic stresses that lead to specimen destabilization also exhibit an upward trend. The effect of f on epsilon p is limited. The epsilon p does not exhibit a clear or consistent developing pattern with increasing f. As for the F, the epsilon p exhibited by the specimens subjected to sinusoidal wave loads is less than that observed under trapezoidal wave loads. Shakedown theory classifies deformation responses into plastic shakedown, plastic creep and incremental collapse. The epsilon p curve patterns of RM-reinforced VA exhibit plastic shakedown and incremental collapse without significant plastic creep characteristics under cyclic loading. A predictive model for epsilon p under cyclic loading is established, which has good predictability. This study presents a novel application of VA and RM, offering substantial research insights into waste recycling.
Frozen soil is a common foundation material in cold region engineering. Therefore, the control and prediction of cumulative plastic strain for frozen soil materials are essential for the construction and long-term stability of actual foundation engineering under complex dynamic loadings. To investigate the influence of complex cyclic stress paths on frozen soil, a series of complex cyclic stress paths were conducted using the frozen hollow cylinder apparatus (FHCA-300).These cyclic stress paths included the triaxial cyclic stress path (TCSP), directional cyclic stress path (DCSP), circular-shaped cyclic stress path (CCSP), elliptical-shaped cyclic stress path (ECSP), and heart-shaped cyclic stress path (HCSP).The results indicated that the cumulative plastic strain under the five cyclic stress paths at three temperatures (-1.5,-6,and-15 degrees C) can be ranked as follows: DCSP>ECSP>HCSP>CCSP>TCSP. The cyclic stress paths are quantified based on the combined effects of the maximum shear stress (q(max)) and the principal stress axis angle (a). A developed model predicting cumulative plastic strain, considering complex cyclic stress paths, is introduced and demonstrates excellent predictive performance. The study's findings can offer insights into foundation engineering's deformation characteristics and settlement predictions under diverse complex dynamic loadings
Dynamic triaxial tests were conducted to clarify the dynamic deformation characteristics of silty clay in flood irrigation areas under cyclic loading, using single-sample stepwise and multiple samples of constant amplitude. The effects of confining pressure, bias consolidation ratio, drainage conditions, dynamic load frequency, and cyclic stress ratio on the development law of cumulative plastic strain and residual dynamic pore pressure, the evolution characteristics of the hysteresis curve, and the change law of softening index of silty clay were studied. The results show that the development of cumulative plastic strain and residual dynamic pore pressure of soil under dynamic load is consistent. According to the stability theory, the dynamic behavior of samples under different test conditions can be divided into three typical cases: plastic stability, plastic creep and incremental failure. Under the basic conditions of this test, the boundary cyclic stress ratios of the three dynamic states of plastic stability, plastic creep, and incremental failure are around 0.30 and 0.40, respectively. The hysteresis characteristics of undrained specimens in the plastic stable state are obvious, and the hysteresis curve shows an S shape. With the progression of loading, soil experiences stiffness degradation. The cumulative plastic deformation of undrained specimens is smaller than that of drained specimens, and the softening index of soil under drained and undrained conditions remains stable at around 1.15 and 0.91, respectively, under lower cyclic stress ratios. Through grey relational analysis, it is found that the cyclic stress ratio has the greatest influence on the cumulative plastic strain and pore pressure ratio. The confining pressure exerts the greatest influence on the softening index. The parameters of the cumulative plastic strain model suitable for silty clay in flood irrigation areas have been determined, and the prediction effect is good.
Pisha sandstone (PS) rapidly collapses in water and its performance deteriorates seriously, and its special engineering properties have always been the focus of researchers. In areas where fillers are scarce, it is of great significance to use PS as roadbed fillers to slow down soil erosion and green environmental protection. However, the long-term deformation characteristics after construction need further study. To reveal the long-term dynamic characteristics of Pisha sandstone fillers (PSF) under vehicle load, this study conducted the cyclic loading test of PSF by using the GDS triaxial test system. The deformation characteristics of PSF under different cyclic stress ratios (zeta) and load frequencies (f) were studied. The grey correlation analysis method was used to obtain the correlation degree of each influencing factor to the cumulative plastic strain (CPS) of the PSF. Finally, the grey GM (1,1) model is used to predict the CPS data of PSF. Based on this, the classical semi-logarithmic strain model is modified, and the CPS prediction model of PSF is established. The results reveal that the zeta and f will promote the development of axial deformation of PSF. The axial elastic deformation (epsilon(e)) and CPS of PSF increase with the increase of zeta, and the zeta has a great influence on the CPS. The influence of f on epsilon(e) is more significant at high stress levels and less significant at low stress levels. The influence of f on CPS is opposite to that of epsilon(e), that is, the influence of high stress level is small, and the influence of low stress level is large. According to the degree of correlation, the factors are sorted according to the degree of influence: static strength (sigma(f)) > confining pressure (sigma(3)) > dynamic static stress ratio (eta) > load frequency (f) > cyclic stress ratio (zeta). The GM (1,1) model has high accuracy and reliability for the quantitative description and prediction of the CPS of PSF. At the same time, according to the test and GM (1,1) model prediction results, the CPS prediction model of PSF was established. The research can provide insights and references for the establishment of cumulative deformation and prediction model of PSF under cyclic loading.
In previous train operations, traffic loads were typically considered continuous, disregarding the intermittent effects of successive trains on subgrade loess. To investigate the cumulative plastic strain behavior and critical dynamic stress of subgrade loess under intermittent train loads, a series of dynamic triaxial tests were conducted considering factors such as cyclic stress ratio, confining pressure, and frequency. The deformation characteristics of subgrade soil under different stress levels were analyzed, and the dynamic behavior of specimens was categorized based on the development trends of strain rate and cumulative plastic strain. Then the critical dynamic stress levels for plastic shakedown and plastic creep states were determined. The results indicate that intermittent effects suppress the development of cumulative plastic strain and excess pore water pressure in the soil. The more cycles of the unloading-drainage stage the soil undergoes, the stronger its resistance to failure. Under intermittent loads, cumulative plastic strain increases with higher cyclic stress ratios and frequencies. When the cyclic stress ratio is constant, the increase in confining pressure enhances soil stiffness, but this increase is insufficient to counteract the strain induced by greater dynamic stress amplitude, resulting in increased cumulative strain. Combining cumulative plastic strain and plastic strain rate, a classification standard for the deformation behavior of subgrade loess under intermittent loading conditions was established, and the critical dynamic stress was identified. The critical dynamic stress increases with higher confining pressure but decreases with frequency. Accordingly, empirical formulas for critical dynamic stress concerning confining pressure and frequency were proposed. These findings are crucial for understanding the mechanism of intermittent train load effects and analyzing subgrade settlement.
To investigate the impact of traffic loading on the deformation characteristics of soft dredger fill, a series of dynamic triaxial tests of soft dredger fill were carried out. The deformation characteristics of the soft dredger fill under varying confining pressures and dynamic stress ratios were analyzed comparatively. The test results indicate that the cumulative plastic strain curve of the soft dredger fill exhibits three distinct patterns: destructive, critical, and stable; Based on the cumulative plastic strain development law of the dredger fill, an empirical formula of critical dynamic stress and the prediction model of cumulative plastic strain development were established, considering the influence of confining pressure. Under continuous loading, the hysteresis curve of soft dredger fill showed pronounced non-linearity, and hysteresis. Initially, the curve exhibited an ellipse shape, transitioning to a crescent shape in the middle and late stages. The higher the dynamic stress ratio, the greater the height and width of the hysteresis loop. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic behavior of dredger fill under traffic loading.
The shakedown state of the subgrade is crucial for the sustainable design and long-term stability evaluation of pavement structures. In order to characterize the plastic deformation and shakedown behavior of subgrade soil in seasonal frozen regions, cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on the thawed subgrade soil after seven cycles of freeze-thaw. The influences of the numbers of cycle loading, the amplitude of cyclic deviator stress, and the confining stress were considered variables. The evolution features of accumulative plastic strain, accumulative plastic strain rate, and critical dynamic stress were experimentally analyzed. Based on the shakedown theory, the ensuing discoveries were that the accumulative plastic strain response-behavior of thawed subgrade soil was typically divided into plastic shakedown, plastic creep, and incremental collapse under the long-term cyclic loading. Furthermore, the shakedown standard for thawed subgrade soil was also proposed based on the evolution of the accumulative plastic strain rate. The critical dynamic stresses can be obtained by the proposal formula to determine the different plastic deformation ranges.