Review: Rheology concepts applied to geotechnical engineering

Abstract

AbstractThe effect of time on soil properties, noticeable in many earthworks, is recognized by geotechnicians. For example, secondary compression and aging pre-consolidation are considered in geotechnical design, and strain rate is standardized in geotechnical laboratory and field tests. Elastic-plastic models, from rigid-perfect plastic to Modified Cam Clay, which do not consider the effects of time, solve most geotechnical problems. However, solutions for prolonged settlements, landslides, debris flow and mudflow could profit from a deeper understanding of rheological models. In fact, rheological concepts, despite not always clearly stated, have been used to address some of these problems, and may also be important for using new materials in geotechnical practice (tailings, sludge, soil-polymer mixtures and other materials with water content higher than the liquid limit). This paper introduces basic concepts of rheology for geotechnicians, specially highlighting viscoelasticity under simple shear stress, which explains with reasonable accuracy well known phenomena dependent on time in soils. The objective is to bring geotechnicians to rheology and show another important tool to access geotechnical problems. On the other hand, a brief explanation of geotechnical tests is presented for rheologists not acquainted with geotechnical engineering. Geotechnical tests procedures are discussed in the light of rheology concepts, terminology is clarified, examples of application of rheology in geotechnics are presented, and determination of soil rheological parameters by traditional geotechnical tests as well as by tests on concrete is commented.