• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.103-111
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• 2008

Soils naturally contain grains of different minerals which may be dissolved under chemical or physical processes. The dissolution leads changes in microstructure of particulate media, such as an increase in local void or permeability, which affects the strength and deformation of soils. This study focuses on the small strain stiffness characteristics of vanishing mixtures, which consist of sand and salt particles at different volume fractions. Experiments are carried out in a conventional oedometer cell (Ko-loading) integrated with bender elements for the measurement of shear waves. Dissolutions of particles are implemented by saturating the mixtures at various confining stresses. Axial deformation and shear waves are recorded after each loading stage and during dissolution process. Experimental results show that after dissolution, the vertical strain and the void ratio increase, while the shear wave velocity and small strain shear modulus decrease. The decrease of the velocity results from the void ratio increase and particle contact decrease. The process monitoring during dissolution of the particles shows that the vertical strain dramatically increases at the beginning of the saturation process and converges after vanishing process finishes, and that the shear wave velocity decreases at the beginning and increases due to the particle reorientation. Specimens prepared by sand and salt particles are proved to be able to provide a valuable insight in macro structural behaviors of the vanishings mixtures.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.47-54
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• 2006

Shear wave velocity of uncemented soil can be expressed as the function of effective stresses when capillary phenomena are negligible. However, the terms of effective stresses are divided into the direction of wave propagation and polarization because stress states are generally anisotropy. The shear wave velocities are affected by ${\alpha}$ parameters and ${\beta}$ exponents that are experimentally determined. The ${\beta}$ exponents are controlled by contact effects of particulate materials (sizes, shapes, and structures of particles) and the ${\alpha}$ parameters are changed by contact behaviors among particles, material properties of particles, and type of packing (i.e., void ratio and coordination number). In this study, consolidation tests are performed by using clay, mica and sand specimens. Shear wave velocities are measured during consolidation tests to investigate the stress-induced and inherent anisotropies by using bender elements. Results show the shear wave velocity depends on the stress-induced anisotropy for round particles. Furthermore, the shear wave velocity is dependent on particle alignment under the constant evvective stress. This study suggests that the shear wave velocity and the shear modulus should be carefully estimated and used for the design and construction of geotechnical structures.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.5C
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• pp.209-218
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• 2010

In residual soils, large particles such as rock fragments or gravel are surrounded by sand or clay. The strength of such granular mixtures can be controlled by the concentration of fine or coarse grains. The percentage by weight, size or shape of gravel in the mixture that can control the strength of the mixture has not been clearly determined for various granular mixtures. In this study, the effect of dispersed gravels on the shear characteristics of sand was evaluated. Large and small gravels were inserted in the middle of each layer with moist Nakdong River sand and compacted into a cylindrical sample with five equal layers. Embedded gravel ratios by weight were 0, 3, 9, and 14%. After consolidation, a series of undrained triaxial compression tests was performed on Nakdong River sand with dispersed gravels. Maximum deviator stresses of the Nakdong River sand with large gravels decrease up to 38% as a percentage of embedded gravels increases. Such strength degradation decreases as a confining pressure increases. The maximum deviator stress increases as the percentage by weight of small gravel increases; at 3 or 9% of gravel weight it slightly increases but at 14% of gravel weight it increases up to 34%.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.2C
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• pp.85-93
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• 2010

The shear stiffness has become an important design parameter to understand the soil behavior. In particular, the elastic moduli and void ratio has been considered as important parameters for the design of the geotechnical structures. The objective of this paper is the development of the penetration type Field Velocity and Resistivity Probe (FVRP) which is able to assess the elastic moduli and void ratio based on the elastic wave velocities and electrical resistivity. The elastic waves including the compressional and shear wave are measured by piezo disk elements and bender elements. And the electrical resistivity is measured by the resistivity probe, which is manufactured and installed at the tip of the FVRP. The penetration tests are carried out in calibration chamber and field. In the laboratory calibration chamber test, after the sand-clay slurry mixtures are prepared and consolidated. The FVRP is progressively penetrated and the data are measured at each 1 cm. The field experiment is also carried out in the southern part of Korea Peninsular. Data gathering is performed in the depth of 6~20 m at each 10 cm. The elastic moduli and void ratio are estimated based on the analytical and empirical solutions by using the elastic wave velocities and electrical resistivity measured in the chamber and field. The void ratios based on the elastic wave velocities and the electrical resistivity are similar to the volume based void ratio. This study suggests that the FVRP, which evaluates the elastic wave velocities and the electrical resistivity, may be a useful instrument for assessing the elastic moduli and void ratio in soft soils.