Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

Impact of Hydraulic Hysteresis on the Small-Strain Shear Modulus of Low Plasticity Soils

Ali Khosravi and John S. McCartney
Experimental studies have observed that the small strain shear modulus (G) of unsaturated soils measured during hydraulic hysteresis has a greater magnitude during imbibition than during drainage when plotted as a function of matric suction. To capture this behavior, a semi-empirical model was devel ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000713] posted Sat Feb 11, 2012.

Shaft Friction from Instrumented Displacement Piles in an Uncemented Calcareous Sand

B. M. Lehane, J. A. Schneider, J. K. Lim, and G. Mortara
The behaviour of displacement piles in uncemented calcareous sand is investigated using field piles instrumented with a sensor that simultaneously records the radial stress and shear stress at specific locations on the pile shafts. These tests are interpreted with the assistance of data from adjacen ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000712] posted Sat Feb 11, 2012.

Stratified Response Surfaces for System Probabilistic Evaluation of Slopes

Jian Ji and Bak Kong Low
The need for probabilistic slope analysis that takes into account the uncertainty of soil properties has been acknowledged by the geotechnical profession. Traditionally, probabilistic slope analysis involves only single-mode failure that is considered based on the critical slip surface. This may res ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000711] posted Sat Feb 11, 2012.

Buried Pipes in Rubber-Soil Backfilled Trenches under Cyclic Loading

S. N. Moghaddas Tafreshi, Gh. Tavakoli Mehrjardi, and A. R. Dawson
In geotechnical engineering, recycled tires are used in lightweight fills, backfill materials, highway embankments, soil reinforcement and soil-retaining walls. The rubber-soil mixture can exhibit a greater capacity for energy absorbency than soil alone under cyclic loading and tends to decrease the ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000710] posted Fri Feb 10, 2012.

Tunnel-Pile Interaction Analysis Using Cavity Expansion Methods

Alec M. Marshall
Evaluation of the impact of tunnel construction on existing buried structures is an important problem. This paper presents an analytical method for estimating the effect of tunnel construction on end-bearing piles located above the tunnel. The method can be used to estimate the safe relative distanc ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000709] posted Thu Feb 9, 2012.

Lateral Movements of Long Driven Piles during Pile Driving

L. M. Zhang and K. H. Chu
Large lateral movements of a pile during impact driving can cause yielding of the surrounding soil. When this happens, the effective stress between the soil and the pile wall will diminish and the pile shaft resistance will decrease. A piling project was carried out in a marble area in Hong Kong, wh ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000707] posted Tue Feb 7, 2012.

Reliability of Spread Footing Performance in Desiccated Clay

Armin W. Stuedlein, Steven L. Kramer, Pedro Arduino, and Robert. D. Holtz
To advance the use of reliability-based design procedures, it is necessary to evaluate sources of design parameter uncertainty including inherent variability, measurement error, and transformation uncertainty. The results of a probabilistic evaluation of undrained footing bearing performance are dis ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000706] posted Tue Feb 7, 2012.

SoilFoundationStructure Interaction with Mobilization of Bearing Capacity: An Experimental Study on Sand

V. Drosos, T. Georgarakos, M. Loli, I. Anastasopoulos, O. Zarzouras et al.
Recent studies have highlighted the beneficial role of foundation uplifting and the potential effectiveness of guiding the plastic hinge into the foundation soil by allowing full mobilization of bearing capacity during strong seismic shaking. With the inertia loading transmitted onto the superstruct ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000705] posted Tue Feb 7, 2012.

Effects of Waste Composition and Decomposition on the Shear Strength of Municipal Solid Waste

Christopher A. Bareither, Craig H. Benson, and Tuncer B. Edil
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of waste composition and decomposition on the shear strength of municipal solid waste. Waste was collected from two sources (an operating landfill and a transfer station) and degraded in laboratory anaerobic reactors to prepare wastes with diff ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000702] posted Sat Jan 28, 2012.

Relationship between the Seismic Coefficient and the Unfactored Geosynthetic Force in Reinforced Earth Structures

Farshid Vahedifard, Dov Leshchinsky, and Christopher L. Meehan
This paper presents an integrated analytical method for calculating the resultant unfactored geosynthetic force in reinforced earth structures under seismic loading conditions. The method utilizes a pseudostatic limit equilibrium approach for assessing the internal stability of a reinforced earth st ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000701] posted Sat Jan 28, 2012.

Probabilistic SPT-Based Liquefaction Triggering Procedure

Ross W. Boulanger and I. M. Idriss
A probabilistic version of the Idriss and Boulanger (2004, 2008) SPT-based liquefaction triggering correlation is derived using a maximum likelihood approach and an updated case history database. Measurement and estimation uncertainties in the cyclic stress ratio (CSR) and SPT (N) values and the eff ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000700] posted Sat Jan 28, 2012.

Modeling Rock Fracture Intersections and Application to the Boston Area

Herbert H. Einstein and Jean-Lois Z. Locsin
An algorithm for determining the intersections between fractures is presented in this paper. The algorithm is implemented in GEOFRAC, a stochastic fracture pattern-modeling program. Previously, GEOFRAC allowed one to subdivide a fracture network into isolated sub-networks in order to assess connecti ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000699] posted Sat Jan 28, 2012.

The Effect of the Porosity/Cement Ratio on the Compression of Cemented Soil

Sara Rios, Antonio Viana da Fonseca, and Beatrice Anne Baudet
The compression behavior of an artificially cemented soil was analyzed by means of the adjusted porosity/cement index using a correlation established in the recent literature. It was found that for each value of this index, defined as the ratio of porosity to the volumetric cement content, there is ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000698] posted Mon Jan 16, 2012.

Closure to Shear Strength Equations for Unsaturated Soil under Drying and Wetting by Goh Shin Guan, Harianto Rahardjo, and Leong Eng Choon

S. G. Goh, H. Rahardjo, and E. C. Leong
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000589] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Discussion of Shear Strength Equations for Unsaturated Soil under Drying and Wetting by Goh Shin Guan, Harianto Rahardjo, and Leong Eng Choon

Saman Zargarbashi and Nasser Khalili
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000455] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Closure to Predicted Loads in Steel Reinforced Soil Walls Using the AASHTO Simplified Method by Richard J. Bathurst, Axel Nernheim, and Tony M. Allen

Richard J. Bathurst, Axel Nernheim, and Tony M. Allen
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000588] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Closure to Effects of Strain Localization on Seismic Active Earth Pressures by Jian-Min Zhang, Fei Song, and De-Ji Li

Jian-Min Zhang, Fei Song, and De-Ji Li
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000594] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Reviewers

Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000634] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Discussion of Effects of Strain Localization on Seismic Active Earth Pressures by Jian-Min Zhang, Fei Song, and De-Ji Li

Venanzio R. Greco
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000493] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Performance Monitoring of a Secant-Piled Wall Using Distributed Fiber Optic Strain Sensing

Hisham Mohamad, Kenichi Soga, Adam Pellew, and Peter J. Bennett
An optical fiber strain-sensing technique, on the basis of Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry (BOTDR), was used to monitor the performance of a secant pile wall subjected to multiple props during construction of an adjacent basement in London. Details of the installation of sensors and data ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000543] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Clayey Soil Reinforced with Stone Column Group: Model Tests and Analyses

J. T. Shahu and Y. R. Reddy
Fully drained, load-controlled laboratory model tests and their numerical simulations are presented. The tests were performed on adequately instrumented, small scale physical models of floating stone column group foundations placed in slurry deposited clayey soil beds with known effective stress sta ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000552] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Strength of Weakly Cemented Sands from Drained Multistage Triaxial Tests

M. S. Ravi Sharma, Christopher D. P. Baxter, Kathryn Moran, Hans Vaziri, and Raja Narayanasamy
Characterizing the strength of weakly cemented and sensitive soils in the laboratory is difficult because of the difficulty in obtaining high-quality replicate samples necessary for defining the failure envelope. Multistage triaxial tests have long been used to reduce the variability caused by testi ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000537] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Static and Dynamic Axial Response of Drilled Piers. I: Field Tests

Gang Wang, Gyimah Kasali, and Nicholas Sitar
A prototype pier load test program was performed to study the load-deformation and energy-dissipation characteristics of the response of drilled piers under static and dynamic axial loads. The field tests consisted of six fully instrumented drilled concrete piers 6176 cm (2430 in.) in diameter and 5 ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000547] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

In Situ Temperature Monitoring in an Organic-Waste Landfill Cell

Abdelmalek Bouazza, Hani Nahlawi, and Martin Aylward
This paper presents the results of a temperature-monitoring program in an organic-waste landfill cell under normal operating conditions. The aim of the program was to capture the temporal evolution of temperature at various locations within the cell. Temperatures were measured at two levels within t ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000533] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Influence of Pore Fluid Viscosity on the Dynamic Properties of an Artificial Clay

A. Turan, S. D. Hinchberger, and M. H. El Naggar
This paper presents the results of vane shear, laboratory compaction, isotropic consolidation, cyclic triaxial, bender element, and resonant-column tests that were performed to characterize the dynamic properties of an artificial soil called modified glyben. Modified glyben comprises a mixture of gl ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000550] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Energy-Based Method for Providing Soil Surface Erodibility Rankings

Didier Marot, Pierre-Louis Regazzoni, and Tony Wahl
The jet erosion test (JET) and the hole erosion test (HET) are two tests used to determine soil erodibility classification, and results are commonly interpreted by two distinct methods. A new method based on fluid energy dissipation and on measurement of the eroded mass for interpreting the two test ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000538] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Discussion of Predicted Loads in Steel Reinforced Soil Walls Using the AASHTO Simplified Method by Richard J. Bathurst, Axel Nernheim, and Tony M. Allen

Yasser A. Hegazy, James L. Withiam, Robert A. Gladstone, and Peter L. Anderson
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000466] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Reliability-Based Optimization of Geotechnical Systems

J. Zhang, L. M. Zhang, and Wilson H. Tang
Reliability-based optimization (RBO) intends to minimize the cost involved in a design while satisfying all technical requirements specified by using reliability theory. Although this idea is attractive, its implementation is generally difficult because an accurate evaluation of the reliability cons ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000551] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Keying of Rectangular Plate Anchors in Normally Consolidated Clays

Dong Wang, Yuxia Hu, and Mark F. Randolph
The loss in anchor embedment during keying, as it rotates to become normal to the cable load, reduces the uplift capacity of anchors in normally consolidated clay. The keying behavior of plate anchors has been studied previously by using centrifuge and field model tests. In this paper, a large defor ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000477] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Closure to Modification to Translational Failure Analysis of Landfills Incorporating Seismicity by Xuede Qian and Robert M. Koerner

Xuede Qian and Robert M. Koerner
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000580] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Use of Time-Domain Reflectometry for Quality Control of Soil-Nailing Works

Raymond W. M. Cheung and Dominic O. K. Lo
Soil nailing is an effective and practical means for stabilizing slopes and supporting excavations. It has been used extensively in slope improvement works in Hong Kong since the mid-1990s. However, once a soil nail has been installed, it is difficult to check its quality, such as the length of the ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000549] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Finite-Element Modeling of Continuous Surface Waves Tests: Numerical Accuracy with respect to Domain Size

A. M. W. Aung and E. C. Leong
Near-field effects are inherent in continuous surface wave (CSW) tests. Such effects on the dispersion curves can be studied using the finite-element (FE) method. However, near-field effects may be obscured by boundary effects in a FE model. Although the use of local nonreflecting boundary condition ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000545] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Simplified Constitutive Model for Simulation of Cyclic Response of Shallow Foundations: Validation against Laboratory Tests

I. Anastasopoulos, F. Gelagoti, R. Kourkoulis, and G. Gazetas
The nonlinear response of shallow foundations has been studied experimentally and analytically. However, the engineering community is not yet convinced of the applicability of such concepts in practice. A key prerequisite is the ability to realistically model such effects. Although several sophistic ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000534] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Biocalcification of Sand through Ureolysis

Chiung-Wen Chou, Eric A. Seagren, Ahmet H. Aydilek, and Michael Lai
Biological processes may provide great and previously unexplored opportunities for cost-effective, in situ improvement of the engineering properties of soil. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the changes in geomechanical properties of sand attributable to the formation of calcium precipit ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000532] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Pore Pressures in Concrete Dams

Chong-Hung Zee, Raymond Zee, and Roger Zee
Assuming that concrete is a homogeneous porous material in gravity dams, pore pressure intensities at drain wells near the upstream face of dams were studied. In general, the piezometric head of the seepage flow through a gravity dam may be mathematically represented by the well-known Laplace equati ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000536] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Effect of Strain Rate on the Stress-Strain Behavior of Sand

Jerry A. Yamamuro, Antonio E. Abrantes, and Poul V. Lade
Drained triaxial compression tests on crushed coral sand were performed from near-static strain rates to very high strain rates (up to approximately 1,800%/s). Experiments were performed on dry, vacuum-confined axisymmetric specimens at two different confining pressures (98 and 350 kPa) and two diff ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000542] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Discussion of Modification to Translational Failure Analysis of Landfills Incorporating Seismicity by Xuede Qian and Robert M. Koerner

Richard Thiel
Abstract not available. [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000498] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Static and Dynamic Axial Response of Drilled Piers. II: Numerical Simulation

Gang Wang and Nicholas Sitar
Realistic time history simulation of drilled pier/pile-soil systems under dynamic and static loading is essential for the development of effective performance-based earthquake designs of deep foundations. This paper presents the results of the numerical simulation of a series of static and dynamic t ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000548] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Cyclic Strength of Sand under Sustained Shear Stress

J. Yang and H. Y. Sze
The existence of initial shear stress can have a significant effect on the cyclic strength or liquefaction potential of sand. This effect is not yet fully understood because of a lack of convergence and consistency in the existing data and interpretations, leading to great uncertainty in quantifying ... [J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000541] published Fri Jan 13, 2012.

Compression and Creep of Venice Lagoon Sands

Alex Sanzeni, Andrew J. Whittle, John T. Germaine, and Francesco Colleselli
A laboratory test program has been conducted to evaluate the 1-D compression and creep properties of intact sand (and silty-sand) samples from a deep borehole at the Malamocco Inlet to the Venice Lagoon. The tests were performed with a CRS consolidometer and include special procedures for trimming t ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000696] posted Thu Jan 12, 2012.

Subgrade Undercut Criteria Based on Modeling of Rutting and Pumping Response

Young Jin Park, Mohammed A. Gabr, Brent R. Robinson, and Roy H. Borden
The stability of subgrade soils is a major concern during roadway construction with inappropriately soft layers often undercut and replaced by competent or stabilized materials. Systematic undercut criteria are established using numerical modeling with varying the strength and stiffness parameters o ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000695] posted Wed Jan 11, 2012.

Thermal Expansion and Contraction of Geomembrane Liners Subjected to Solar Exposure and Backfilling

W. A. Take, E. Watson, R. W. I. Brachman, and R. K. Rowe
Geomembranes are widely used as advective barriers in landfill liner systems. When exposed to the sun, geomembranes exhibit a network of wrinkles due to thermal expansion. These wrinkles disrupt the intimate contact between the geomembrane and the underlying layer. If a hole is coincident with a geo ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000694] posted Wed Jan 11, 2012.

The Influence of Softening on the Mine Floor Bearing Capacity: A Case History

Gennaro G. Marino and Abdolreza Osouli
This paper introduces a new approach which considers the effect of softening to more accurately calculate floor bearing capacities where difficult mine conditions are present. Due to softening and changes in confining pressures, the geotechnical properties of immediate fine-grained rock vary in the ... [Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000693] posted Wed Jan 11, 2012.