Structural Characteristics and the Damage Mechanism of Soft Clay
ZHANG Xian-wei
WANG Chang-ming
LI Jun-xia
Abstract：Zhangzhou and Huangshi soft clays were tested under uni-directional and isotonic compression loading. The pre-consolidation pressure and structural strength of the soft clays were determined from an analysis of the compression curves of both reconstituted and original soils. The structural stress ratio was found to be 1.1～1.2 for Zhangzhou and 1.2～1.3 for Huangshi clays. This shows that the yield pressure produced during the deposition process and the overburden pressure are proportional. Structural strength increased along with burial depth, loading interval and loading time. Unidirectional compression tests give a structural strength greater than the isotonic compression tests. Re-loading after unloading did not have a large effect on structural strength. The structural damage coefficients of Zhangzhou and Huangshi clays are 17. 7 and 14 percent, respectively. From a microscopic perspective the damage was caused mainly by changes in the connection between soil particles and by changes in the pore structure.
Keywords：soil structurestructural strengthstructural damage coefficientstructure damage mechanism
Publication Date：2010-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)