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Engineering Geology

Engineering Geology - geomuseu

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E n g i n e e r i n g G e o l o g y<br />

Figure 5.1<br />

Stress–strain curves for dense and loose sand.<br />

proportional to stress at low stress levels, suggesting a large component of elastic distortion.<br />

If the stress is reduced, the unloading stress–strain curve indicates that not all the strain is<br />

recovered on unloading. The hysteresis loss represents the energy lost in crushing and repositioning<br />

of grains. At higher shear stresses, the strains are proportionally greater, indicating<br />

greater crushing.<br />

The presence of water in the voids of a coarse soil usually does not produce significant<br />

changes in the value of the angle of shearing resistance. However, if stresses develop in the<br />

pore water, they may bring about changes in the effective stresses between the particles,<br />

whereupon the shear strength and the stress–strain relationships may be altered radically.<br />

Barton et al. (1993) distinguished between normal sands and those that had undergone a<br />

notable degree of diagenetic alteration. They regarded normal sands as those that did not possess<br />

any cohesion derived from grain interlock or cementation. Any cohesion possessed by<br />

these normal sands was due to the presence of a clay matrix. If such soils do not have a clay<br />

fraction, then they are cohesionless. Normal sands grade into diagenetically altered sands.<br />

Barton et al. recognized three groups of diagenetically altered sands, namely, locked sands,<br />

overlocked sands and slightly cemented sands. Locked sands show no visible bonding and,<br />

although trace amounts of cement may be present, their effect on strength is negligible. The<br />

cohesion of locked sands is derived from grain overgrowths. Cemented sands possess<br />

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