Experimental Study on Fracture Behavior of a Silty Clay
Wang, J
Associate Professor, College of River & Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, 66 Xuefu Road, Nan’an District, Chongqing, 400074, P. R. China

Zhu, J
Professor and Associate Professor, Research Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, P. R. China.

Chiu, CF
Professor and Associate Professor, Research Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, P. R. China.

Chai, H
Professor, Research & Design Institute of Chongqing Communication, 33 Xuefu Road, Nan’an District, Chongqing, 400067, P. R. China

(Received 27 June 2006; accepted 1 November 2006)

Abstract

Fracture toughness K_IC and K_IIC are two important parameters in fracture mechanics. In this paper, a device was designed to perform improved three-point and four-point unsymmetrical bending tests on soil beams. The device can easily remove the influence of specimen self-weight on the test results. Using the improved methods and the device, K_IC, K_IIC, and mixed mode I-II stress intensity factors K_I and K_II at fracture failure of a compacted silty clay were investigated. Test results indicated that the fracture of the silty clay exhibits linear and elastic behavior. The influences of dry density, water content, and preconsolidation pressure of specimens on parameter K_IC were investigated. It was found that the classical mixed mode I-II fracture failure theories such as the strain energy density factor theory, maximum circumferential stress theory, and energy release rate theory cannot adequately predict the fracture failure behavior of the specimens, but a circle agrees well with the test results. The directions of crack growing in the specimens under mode II and mixed mode I-II loading conditions were expressed by a linear function of K_I/K_II.

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Author Wang J, Zhu J, Chiu CF, Chai H Title Experimental Study on Fracture Behavior of a Silty Clay Symposium , Committee on