Modelling the Effects of Static Shear on the Undrained Cyclic Torsional Simple Shear Behaviour of Liquefiable Sand

Abstract

Spanning from purely theoretical standpoint to practical applications, there is a particular interest to enhance understanding of the effects of static shear on the cyclic behavior of soil elements underneath sloped ground. To address this issue, two subsequent steps were undertaken in this study. First, a systematic laboratory investigation was carried out on Toyoura sand specimens subjected to various levels of combined static and cyclic shear stresses. Then, a new state-dependent cyclic model was developed. Since experimental findings have been exhaustively reported elsewhere, in this paper they are only briefly recalled for the benefit of comprehensiveness. Instead, the new model is presented in details and its performance is verified by simulating undrained cyclic torsional simple shear tests carried out on Toyoura sand specimens. Essentially, the model is built on an extended general stress-strain hyperbolic equation approach, in which the void ratio and stress level dependency upon non-linear stress-strain response of sand is incorporated. Besides, a novel empirical stress-dilatancy relationship is used to account for the effect of density on the stress ratio as well as to model the excess pore water pressure generation in undrained shear conditions as the mirror effect of volumetric change in drained shear conditions.