Experimental Estimation of Fabric in Granular Materials Using Shear Wave Velocity Measurements

Abstract

The arrangement of soil particles and inter-particle contacts constitutes the basis of the soil fabric, which influences the behavior of sandy and clayey soils and can lead to anisotropic soil properties and behavior. Experimental studies have quantified soil fabric using non-destructive methods, such as X-ray computed tomography, which require specialized equipment and complex analysis techniques. Such studies have reported the effect of soil fabric on the small strain shear modulus (Gmax) and shear strength and dilative behavior of coarse- and fine-grained soils. The purpose of this study is to develop an indirect measure of coarse-grained soil fabric using shear wave velocity (V s) measurements for coarse-grained materials with different particle shapes. V s is obtained in different directions using a multi-bender element system consisting of five bender element pairs. The test results are presented as polar distributions of V s, indicating that particle shape and sample preparation methods influence the stiffness anisotropy. The results highlight the potential of using V s measurements in different orientations to obtain an indirect estimation of a soil specimen’s fabric.

Publication
In Soil Dynamics, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 119