Date of Award

Summer 5-19-1993

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE)

Department

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

First Advisor

Acar, Yalcin B.

Second Advisor

Seals, Roger K.

Third Advisor

Wathugala, Wije

Abstract

Neglecting cementation results in an underestimation of slope stability and pile capacity in design and analysis of geotechnical engineering problems related to cemented deposits. Developing methods to identify and assess the engineering characteristics of cemented deposits is an important subject in geotechnical engineering.

This study is conducted to evaluate the reliability of the prediction schemes proposed by previous investigators through a field study of cone penetration in a cemented deposit and respective laboratory triaxial study on undisturbed cemented specimens. The effect of cementation on cone penetration resistance is investigated through the field study, and the effects of cementation on drained behavior of naturally and artificially cemented specimens are also investigated through the laboratory study. The repeatability and accuracy of the calibration chamber test results obtained by Puppala (1993) are investigated by conducting five cone penetration tests in the calibration chamber.

The research approach involves a field study of cone penetration resistance in Waterways Experiment Station (WES) on loess deposit and also a laboratory study of Isotropically Consolidated-Dramed (CID) triaxial tests on naturally cemented specimens obtained from the same deposits at WES. Tip and sleeve resistances are predicted using the laboratory test results and Durgunoglu & Mitchell (1973) and Janbu & Senneset (1974) bearing capacity theories. The chart of plastification angle versus dilation angle and the chart of dilation angle versus K/K0 proposed by Puppala (1993) are used in predictions. The predicted resistances are compared with measured resistances to evaluate the reliability of the theories and charts proposed by previous investigators for cemented deposits. The investigation indicated that the predicted tip and sleeve resistances show varying degrees of agreement with the measured values. The prediction methods give excellent results in the second layer of the bluff (7-15 m). However, the predicted results show lower values in the first layer (0-7 m).

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.8247

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