The effect on anisotropy of rotating the principal stress axes during consolidation

It is well known that K-0-consolidated natural sediments have anisotropic s trength, yielding and stiffness characteristics, particularly at low overco nsolidation ratios. For example, the undrained triaxial compression shear s trengths developed after K-0-consolidation far exceed those available in ex tension. This paper describes recent hollow cylinder apparatus research int o other types of stress-induced anisotropy, reporting experiments on dense silt samples that involved rotation of the principal stress axes during con solidation. The results show strikingly different anisotropies from those d eveloped by K-0-consolidated samples. The effective stress paths chosen for the laboratory studies were guided by the conditions expected under multi- stage embankments built on soft ground, but the results have considerable s ignificance in other practical geotechnical problems.