CYCLIC UNDRAINED BEHAVIOR OF SILTY SAND

Laboratory cyclic triaxial tests were performed to investigate the eff ect of fine content on the pore pressure generation in sand. Strain-co ntrolled, consolidated undrained tests have been performed with a cycl ic shear strain range of 0.015-1.5%. These tests were carried to 1000 cycles or to initial liquefaction, which ever occurred first. Triaxial tests were performed on pure sand and silt specimens and specimens wi th silt additions of 10, 20, 30, and 60% by weight. Two types of silt, a non-plastic silt and a low plasticity silt (PI almost-equal-to 10) were used as control materials. The main parameters varied in this stu dy were the amount of silt, the plasticity index of silt, and the void ratio where the observed parameter was the pore pressure generation. For all silt contents, silt plasticity and the number of loading cycle s have no significant effect at strain levels below 0.01%. Therefore, threshold strain for silty sands have approximately the same value as sands. For both non-plastic and low plasticity silts, there is a signi ficant increase in the generated pore pressure at high strain levels.