Abstract:
A series of unconsolidated undrained cyclic triaxial tests are carried out on the marine soft clay in the estuary of Yangtze River. The effects of age
T, water content
w and plasticity index
IP on the thixotropic cyclic resistance of the remolded marine soft clay are investigated. The test results show that the cyclic resistance CRR
15 for 15 cycles of the remodeled marine soft clay increases with
T when the failure criterion is defined as the double-amplitude axial strain
εad = 5%, and the fastest growth rate of CRR
15 is observed when
T = 14 d, and the CRR
15 increases slightly ortends to be stable when
T > 28 d. The thixotropy of soft clay is weakened by early disturbance or cyclic loading, and the thixotropy cyclic resistance ratio
Ad is obviously smaller than the static shear strength ratio
As.
Ad first increases and then decreases with the increasing
IP, but increases with the increase of
w.
Ad first increases and then decreases with the increase of the normalized water content
w/
wL, an increase in the normalized water content
w/
wL causes
Ad to first increase and then decrease, and it reaches the maximum value when
w/
wL = 0.76. The unconfined compressive strength tests under parallel test conditions are carried out, and the cyclic stress level is characterized by the ratio of the cyclic axial stress amplitude
σd to 2 times the unconfined compressive strength
qu,
σd/2
qu, and it is found that
σd/2
qu is uniquely related to the failure cycle
Nf required for the specimen to reach
εad = 5%, and
σd/2
qu decreases as a power function with the increase of
Nf.