Study of tensile crack propagation depth of unsaturated expansive soil

Ke Wu; Peiyong Li; Shucai Li

doi:10.1117/12.839048

24 August 2009 Study of tensile crack propagation depth of unsaturated expansive soil

Ke Wu, Peiyong Li, Shucai Li

Proceedings Volume 7375, ICEM 2008: International Conference on Experimental Mechanics 2008; 737515 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.839048
Event: International Conference on Experimental Mechanics 2008 and Seventh Asian Conference on Experimental Mechanics, 2008, Nanjing, China

Abstract

Utilizing GDS unsaturated triaxial apparatus and pressure plate extractor, the tensile crack propagation depth of unsaturated expansive soils is studied. A linear elastic solution of the tensile crack propagation depth is presented and reduced coefficient of effective cohesion is defined. Expressions for critical matrix suction at the ground surface, and the crack propagation depth with no influence of the depth of the groundwater level are derived from the equation of crack propagation depth. Relationships with influencing factors are compared, such as effective cohesion, reduced coefficient of effective cohesion, effective internal friction angle, Poisson's ratio, matrix suction at the ground surface and the depth of the groundwater level. Based on above, the influences of tensile cracks on tension zone depth are analyzed, considering three typical matrix suction profiles along the depth, that is, constant, linear and parabolic distributions.

Citation Download Citation

Ke Wu, Peiyong Li, and Shucai Li "Study of tensile crack propagation depth of unsaturated expansive soil", Proc. SPIE 7375, ICEM 2008: International Conference on Experimental Mechanics 2008, 737515 (24 August 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.839048

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