Low-amplitude dynamic tests of fine gravel in a resonant column

Abstract

Construction of industrial and civil buildings, taking into account the dynamic effects on the foundations, requires special experiments on the mechanical properties of soils. This article presents the results of studying the dynamic properties of coarse gravelly soils using the resonant column method. These studies are relevant, since the determination of the dynamic properties of coarse-grained soils under laboratory conditions is associated with a restriction on the size of the fractions in the sample volume. This circumstance leads to the fact that at the moment most of the laboratory tests of the dynamic properties of coarse-grained soils are performed on smaller aggregate fractions, which, in general, significantly reduces the resulting mechanical properties of soils. It does not reflect the real operation of the foundation of buildings during dynamic effects. This paper presents a description of the available laboratory equipment, the sequence of preparation of samples of coarse grained crushed stone soil and sample assembly in the working chamber of the installation. The article contains the main graphs characterizing the change in shear modulus and damping coefficient depending on shear deformations. It is noted that the results obtained are particularly relevant for modeling the dynamic effects of natural and man-made character on the foundations of industrial and civil buildings, the bases of which are composed of coarse-grained soils. Dynamic parameters considered in this paper, can and must be used in numerical calculations by finite element method with the use of modern groundwater models in geotechnical software systems.