Laboratory evaluation of K0 for overconsolidated clays

Abstract

Most of the laboratory testing methods available for the evaluation of in situ horizontal stresses are applicable to normally consolidated or lightly overconsolidated clays. This paper describes a new laboratory method for the determination of in situ horizontal stresses of heavily overconsolidated clays using a stress-path triaxial apparatus. The proposed method is based on the concept that if the radial stress exceeds the in situ horizontal stress, while maintaining the axial stress constant and equal to the in situ vertical effective stress, only then will the sample experience significant axial strain. The results obtained for undisturbed samples of an overconsolidated clay crust are found to be in agreement with some available methods. For verification of the applicability of the proposed method, K0 was determined for artificially prepared samples that had been subjected to known stress paths simulating field stress history. Key words: K0, overconsolidation, in situ stress, in situ test, clay crust, laboratory test.