Dynamic Behaviour and Suction Characteristics of CH Combination Soil

Saloni Pandya

Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Ajanta Sachan

Soils possessing heterogeneous mixture of sand, silt and clay are referred as
combination soils. Such soils are major part of many civil engineering projects including
offshore structures, earth fill dams, pavements, embankments etc. Combination soils are
exposed to various types of dynamic/ cyclic loading i.e. earthquake, machine vibrations, blast
loading, traffic loading etc. Dynamic loading on soils may cause loss in strength and
instability within the soil mass, which requires the estimation of degradation characteristics
of soils under such loading conditions. Cyclic Strength of soil is governed by its dynamic
properties; shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (D). The dynamic properties of soil are
imperative for solving various problems involving soil-structure interaction and other
geotechnical issues. Unsaturated soils comprise of three phase system (soil matrix, water and
air); whereas saturated soils possess two-phase system (soil matrix and water). Arid and
semi- arid regions cover around 33% of the Earth’s continental surface. In such regions, the
annual evaporation rates are found to be significantly higher than annual precipitation rate
leading to availability of water table at greater depths. Soil strata above natural hydraulic
datum can be categorized as vadose zone consisting of soils having degree of saturation less
than 100% called unsaturated soils. Vadose zone consisting of soils under unsaturated
condition have been represented in Fig 1.1. In these regions (Arid and Semi-arid regions)
most of the geotechnical and subsurface construction takes place in unsaturated zone. Most of
the construction practices such as foundations of buildings, pavements, foundation of
retaining walls etc. on natural ground even in the humid climatic conditions are carried out in
vadose zone owing to the overall ease of construction. Compacted soils are also found under
unsaturated state, involving large portion of man-made structures for instance roads, airfields,
embankments, tunnels, earth dams, natural slope linings and covers of waste containment.
Multiphase interactions (air, water and soil matrix) in unsaturated state of soil separate the
mechanical response of unsaturated soil from that of saturated soil.

Fig 1.1. Unsaturated soil zone above natural hydraulic datum (www.gov.pe.ca).

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 Presence of negative pore water pressure (Suction) in the unsaturated soils terminates
the implementation of principles of conventional soil mechanics to unsaturated soils. Net
normal (- ua) and Matric suction (ua-uw) both have been considered as stress state variables
for unsaturated soil mechanics (Fredlund and Rahardjo, 1993) as compared to stress state
variable (- uw) for conventional soil mechanics as shown in Fig 1.2. Strength and stiffness
behaviour of unsaturated soil is extensively governed by matric suction.
In the past, major issues have been reported due to non-consideration of influence of
matric suction on the strength and stability characteristics of unsaturated soil such as earthen
dam failure in response to prolonged rainfall, seasonal variation of earth pressure on retaining
wall, transient shifting of potential slip surfaces in slopes due to change in the effective
stresses owing to variation in matric suction of unsaturated soils, severe damages to the
foundation subjected to repeated cycles of swelling (in presence of water) and desiccation (in
absence of water) in expansive soils, leaching of the biological and other harmful waste from
landfill due to timely desiccation of unsaturated soils etc. Such issues can be dealt with
proper understanding of mechanical behaviour of soils in unsaturated state under different
loading conditions.
Unsaturated Soil Mechanics

Negative Pore Water Pressures

Net Normal Stress Matric Suction

(σ-ua) (ua-uw)

Effective Stress
(σ-uw)

Positive Pore Water Pressures

Conventional Soil Mechanics

Fig 1.2. Schematic diagram explaining difference in conventional and unsaturated soil
mechanics.

The current study focuses on the dynamic behaviour of unsaturated CH combination

soil, which was collected from Chandkheda, Ahmedabad. According to IS 1498 (1970), soils
possessing more than 50% fines, LL > 50 and PI higher than the PI determined from A-line
equation [PI = 0.73* (LL-20)] given in plasticity chart can be classified as CH (Clay of high
compressibility/plasticity) soil. Corresponding to index properties and grain size distribution;
if a combination soil can be classified as clay of high compressibility/plasticity; then such
soils can be defined as CH combination soils. Application of initial static axial strain prior to
strain controlled cyclic loading on CH combination soil showed a unique stiffness response in
loading and unloading phases of dynamic testing. The initial static axial strain in cyclic
triaxial testing represents the conditions of a highway/railway embankment, where the
embankment load on soil acts like initial static loading and passing vehicles like cyclic
loading on soil. Stiffness degradation during unloading phase of dynamic testing improved
with increase in the initial static axial strain. Influence of matric suction on shear modulus
and damping response of unsaturated compacted soil was evaluated at varying density and

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water content. Matric suction of cohesive soil was evaluated employing In-contact Filter
paper method at varying as-compacted density and water content. Matric suction was found
to be higher for specimens prepared at lower water content for all dry densities. Lower matric
suction values were determined for the specimens prepared at higher densities. Shear
modulus and damping ratio were obtained to be maximum for the specimen possessing
higher matric suction and reduced with increment in the water content of soil specimen. As-
compacted dry density and water content extensively affected the stiffness and damping ratio
of CH combination soil. Stiffness degradation with cyclic load repetition was also assessed
using cyclic degradation index.
Transient changes in matric suction of soil due to seasonal variation would lead to soil
fabric alterations. Collapsible characteristics of unsaturated soil was also evaluated by
determining collapse potential of the soil using double oedometer tests at varying dry density
and water content. It was identified from the study that stiffness degradation and collapse
potential were attained to be higher for compacted specimens with lower dry density and
lower water content, despite of acquiring greater stiffness at higher matric suction. The soil
mass possessing higher matric suction was observed to be capable of higher load enduring
capacity but quicker loss in strength and stiffness due to meta-stable soil structure; depicting
the soil skeleton to be practically unstable and critical during dynamic loading conditions. For
lowest density, an attempt was made in the present analysis to determine unsaturated shear
strength of the soil employing formulation proposed by Vanapalli et al. (1999) by evaluating
matric suction measurements and conventional shear strength testing. Unsaturated shear
strength incorporating influence of matric suction was observed to be 1.3-2.5 times higher
than undrained shear strength (cu) of unsaturated soil at various saturation values.
The study also incorporates dynamic behaviour of CH combination soil under saturated
conditions employing strain controlled dynamic triaxial tests. Ahmedabad cohesive soil
specimens at different initial void ratio were prepared employing K0 slurry consolidation
technique at different vertical pressures. Initial void ratio of the specimen considerably
affected the hysteresis and dynamic properties of saturated CH combination soil. About 62%
-78% stiffness degradation was observed at the end of dynamic loading. Specimen possessing
lower initial void ratio suffered lower stiffness degradation as a result of stronger inter-
particle bonding.
Effect of loading frequency and amplitude was appraised on the dynamic behaviour,
stiffness degradation and energy dissipation (W) response of slurry consolidated specimens of
saturated Ahmedabad cohesive soil under consolidated and unconsolidated testing conditions.
Application of higher frequency resulted in higher shear modulus and cumulative energy
dissipation (WT) for both consolidated and unconsolidated conditions. Excess pore pressure
evolution considerably reduced with upsurge in applied loading frequency for consolidated
testing conditions. Negligible variation in the amount and rate of stiffness degradation of
saturated CH combination soil was observed with variation in frequency for both
consolidated and unconsolidated states. Shear modulus acquired for saturated Ahmedabad
soil reduced with higher application of axial strain amplitude; however damping ratio and
cumulative energy dissipation were perceived to increase for both consolidated and
unconsolidated states. Significant increase in excess pore pressure evolution was observed
with the increase in axial strain amplitude under consolidated testing conditions of saturated
Ahmedabad cohesive soil. Saturated cohesive soil specimens subjected to higher axial strain
amplitude underwent maximum amount and rate of stiffness degradation for same number of
loading cycles. Consolidated state exhibited higher load carrying capacity of saturated soil as
compared to unconsolidated state. Energy dissipation was found to be maximum during first
loading cycles, which were observed to be further decreasing with increasing number of
loading cycles for all strain-controlled dynamic triaxial tests.

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 Majority of problems associated with unsaturated state of soil has been reported for
expansive soils. Consequently, the study was extended to evaluate the influence of suction on
swelling and collapsible characteristics of four different CH combination soils. Three soils
(Nagpur, Bharuch and Bharuch- Dahej Highway) were found to be expansive in nature,
however the fourth one was Ahmedabad cohesive soil of non-expansive origin. The soil
possessing higher DFSI values exhibited higher matric suction, swelling pressure and
collapse potential. Higher matric suction led to higher affinity for water in soil mass leading
to larger swelling pressures. It could be distinguished that soil possessing more amount of
smaller size particles exhibited higher matric suction (irrespective of the degree of saturation)
and experienced excessive crumbing of soil skeleton (collapse) on inundation and vertical
stress application; due to sudden loss in high intensity additional inter-particle resistive forces
imparted due to presence of air-water interface within the soil skeleton.

Journal Papers:

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A. (2017) Effect of matric suction and initial static loading on dynamic
behavior of unsaturated cohesive soil, International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Taylor and
Francis, online available, 23 Feb 2017.

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A. (2017) Variation of collapse potential and stiffness degradation with
matric suction of compacted unsaturated cohesive soil, International Journal of Geotechnical
Engineering, Taylor and Francis, online available, 07 Nov 2017.

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A.(2018) Hysteresis response and stiffness degradation of slurry consolidated
specimens of CH combination soil under dynamic loading conditions, International Journal of
Geotechnical Engineering, Taylor and Francis, In Review.

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A. (2018) Effect of frequency and amplitude on dynamic behaviour, stiffness
degradation and energy dissipation of saturated cohesive soil, Geotechnical and Geological
Engineering, Springer, In Review.

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A. (2018) Matric suction, swelling and collapsible characteristics of
unsaturated expansive soils, Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, Springer, In Review.

Conference Papers:

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A. (2015)Dynamic behaviour of unsaturated CH soil under cyclic loading in
unconsolidated undrained conditions, 5th Tongji-UBC Symposium on Earthquake Engineering, Tongji
University Shanghai, China, 4-8 May, 2015.

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A. (2016) Stiffness degradation and cyclic response of naturally available
combination soil, International Geotechnical Engineering Conference on Sustainability in
Geotechnical Engineering Practices and Related Urban Issues, Mumbai, IN, Sep. 23-24, 2016.

Pandya, S. and Sachan, A.(2016) Effect of microfabric on shear modulus and damping ratio of
Kaolin clay, EMI International Conference 2016, Université de Lorraine, Metz, France, Oct. 25-27,
2016.

Pandya, S., Sakkari, A. and Sachan, A. (2017) Unsaturated shear strength of CH combination soil
using matric suction and conventional shear strength testing, Indian Geotechnical Conference 2017
GeoNEst, IIT Guwahati, India, 14-16 December 2017.

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Pandya, S., Sarswat, N & Sachan, A. (2018). Relationship of Collapse Potential and Swell Pressure
with Suction of Unsaturated Expansive Soil, In Proceedings of GeoShanghai 2018 International
Conference: Multi-physics Processes in Soil Mechanics and Advances in Geotechnical Testing, GSIC
2018, Shanghai, China, May 27-30, 2018, Vol. 2, pp. 147-155.

Pandya, S., Sharma, N. and Sachan, A. (2018) Role of matric suction in mechanics behind swelling
characteristics of expansive soils, 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical
Engineering, Paris, France, February 19-20, 2018.