An improved shear strength model of unsaturated soils over a wide suction range

Authors

Yu-xin ZHAO, Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Xu LI, Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Sen LIN, Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China, Norinco International Cooperation Ltd., Beijing 100040, China
Xiao-meng WANG, Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China, China Fortune Land Development Co., Ltd., Xuchang, Henan 461000, China

Abstract

Different types of unsaturated soils are widespread in nature. Due to the differences in grain size and mineral composition, the shear strength characteristics of the unsaturated soils are significantly different over a wide suction range. In order to establish a unified model for predicting the shear strength of different soil types over a wide suction range, a systematic investigation was carried out to examine the effect of soil type on the shear strength of unsaturated soils. An improved shear strength model is proposed based on the advantages of two traditional equations. The proposed model is verified by comparing the published experimental data and the predicted results obtained from the proposed and the existing equations. The conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) the shear strength for different types of soils over a wide suction range can be roughly classified into two types: peak type and steady growth type; (2) the proposed model demonstrates a good agreement between the predicted and measured shear strength results over a wide suction range; and (3) the physical meaning and the recommended values of the model parameters for different soil types are given.

Graphic Abstract

Recommended Citation

ZHAO, Yu-xin; LI, Xu; LIN, Sen; and WANG, Xiao-meng (2023) "An improved shear strength model of unsaturated soils over a wide suction range," Rock and Soil Mechanics: Vol. 44: Iss. 4, Article 1.
DOI: 10.16285/j.rsm.2022.5975
Available at: https://rocksoilmech.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss4/1