Determination of Soil Stiffness

Parameters
Short Course on Computational Geotechnics + Dynamics
Boulder, Colorado
January 5-8, 2004

Stein Sture
Professor of Civil Engineering
University of Colorado at Boulder
Contents
General concepts and stiffness of sand
Hookes law
E-moduli from triaxial testing
E-moduli from oedometer testing
Examples on the estimation of E

Stiffness of clays
Undrained clay behavior
Drained clay behavior
Examples on the estimation of E
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Idealized and real stress-
strain behavior of soils
Idealized types of stress-strain behaviors: (a) nonlinear elastic
Model, (b) linear elastic model, and (c) elastoplastic model
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Idealized and real stress-
strain behavior of soils
Various types of elastoplastic behaviors: (a) strain hardening, (b)
perfectly plastic, (c) strain softening, and (d) combination of a to c.
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Hookes Law of Isotropic
Elasticity
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Hookes Law of Isotropic
Elasticity
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Standard Drained Triaxial Test on
Sand
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Standard Drained Triaxial Test on
Sand
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Oedometer Test on Sand
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Oedometer Test on Sand
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Oedometer Test on Sand

Hooke:

Loose:

Dense:
oed oed
E E E
3
2
) 2 1 (
1
1
~

+
= v
v
v

(v =
1
3
)
ref
y
ref
p p
E

3
2
150
o
~
ref
y
ref
p p
E

3
2
500
o
~
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Oedometer Test on Sand

o
y
'
=
o
x
'
K
0
~ 2o
x
'
ref
x
ref
x
ref
p p p
E

150 2
3
2
150
o o
~ ~
ref
x
ref
x
ref
p p p
E

500 2
3
2
500
o o
~ ~

E ~ E
50
Loose:
Dense:
This implies:
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Summary on Stiffness Parameters:
Sand
(Laboratory based experience)

E = E
50
~
2
3
E
oed

v =
1
3

E
p
ref
=150
o
x
'
p
ref

E
p
ref
= 500
o
x
'
p
ref

E = E
ref
o
x
'
p
ref

E =15MPa
o
x
'
p
ref

E = 50MPa
o
x
'
p
ref

p
ref
=100kPa
Loose:
Dense:
Loose:
Dense:
Unloading: About 4 times stiffer. v small
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Selection of Moduli for FEM-Computation

E
50
ref
=15MPa

o
y
0
/
~ 70kPa

Ao
y
'
= 50kPa

o
y
'
= 95kPa

o
x
'
~ 50kPa

E
50
=15000 0.5 ~10000 kPa
Layer 1 (extremely loose sand
Layer 1:
Average
Mohr-Coulomb model:
Example 1 (loading):
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Selection of Moduli for FEM-Computation
Example 2 (unloading):

E
50
ref
= 45MPa

E
50
ref
= 30MPa
15 . 0 , 4
50
~ ~ v
ref ref
ur
E E

o
y
'
= 2 +1.5
'
= 55kPa

o
x
'
~ 27.5kPa

E = 4 45000
27.5
100
~ 95000 kPa

o
x
'
~10kPa
kPa E 38000 10 . 0 30000 4 ~ =
Layer 1 (dense): Layer 3 (medium):
Unloading: for both layers
Mohr-Coulomb model:
Layer 1:
Layer 3:
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
E
oed
from Cone Penetration Test in
Sands

q
c

E
oed
~oq
c
o = 1 to 3
o = 3
ref
c oed
p q E ) 10 30 ( =
Cone Resistance:
Correlation:
Literature NC-Sand:
Vermeers Experience:
Alternatively:
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Undrained Triaxial Test on
Clay

E
u
50
=
15000 C
u
I
p
%

E
u
50
= 3G
50
Normally consolidated clay:
C
u
= undrained shear strength (or S
u
)
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Idealized and real stress-strain
behavior of soils
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Idealized and real stress-strain
behavior of soils
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Plate Loading Tests
Duncan & Buchignani (1976)
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Plate Loading Tests
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Summary on Stiffness Parameters:
Clay
Undrained Conditions
Do not use empirical relationships only. Get good quality experimental data from lab tests, cone
penetration tests and vane tests
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Drained Behavior for Clays
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters
Drained Behavior for Clays
Computational Geotechnics Determination of Soil Stiffness Parameters