Aspects of Mechanical Behavior and Modeling of a Tropical Unsaturated Soil

The research studies the applicability of two elastoplastic models for the collapse prediction of the lateritic soil profile from Southeastern Brazil. These tropical soils have peculiar geotechnical behavior, due to their mineralogical composition and porous structure coming from intense process of formation. Two elastoplastic models were analyzed: the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) and another one based on BBM, however developed for tropical soils. Oedometric tests with suction control were performed at three distinct depths of the soil profile. The BBM was not suitable for the upper layer of the soil profile, because BBM considers the compressible behavior of the soil in function of the reduction of the elastoplastic compressibility index with the increase of the matric suction. The model developed for tropical soils showed better suited to the compressible behavior of the soil profile, resulting in good prediction of the collapse potential, mainly by accepting increasing values of the elastoplastic compressibility index of the soil profile with the matric suction rise. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Caracterização do comportamento geotécnico de mistura de resíduo de pneus e solo laterítico

A technological alternative for the correct disposal of tires is the use in the construction of embankment with soil and shredded tires. The use of waste tires in tropical soils requires prior knowledge of the properties and limitations of these materials. In this work, the results of an experimental program was devised to characterize the behavior of mixtures of waste tires and a lateritic soil. The residue used in this study is classified as tire buffings with an average size of 1.4 mm. The laboratory program included testing of particle size analysis, Atterberg limits, compaction, direct shear tests, permeability and confined compression tests with pure soil, pure tire and the mixtures. Proportions of 0% (pure soil), 10%, 20%, 40%, 50 % and 100% (pure tire) by weight were used. For the confining stress levels used in the study, the presence of tire residue provided a considerable increase in shear strength of the mixture. The maximum shear strength was obtained for a residue content of 40% by weight. Permeability tests on samples of waste under a confining stress of 100 kPa showed that the permeability increases significantly with increasing residue content until a residue content of 20%. The increase in permeability after that value showed to be negligible. Confined compression tests showed that the soil mixed with tire residue becomes more compressible than the pure soil. The secant constrained modulus (Msec) for the same vertical stress decreases with increasing percentage of residue.

Avaliação da eficácia de barreiras de proteção ambiental produzidas com solo arenoso estabilizado quimicamente

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo sobre o potencial de alguns latossolos da região do Vale do Paraíba, estado de São Paulo, para uso em camadas estruturais de pavimentos de baixo volume de tráfego

The main purpose of this research is to raise, through lab rehearsals, the geometric properties of some oxisols from the region of Vale do Paraíba as well as comparing them to demands prescribed by Technical Specifications ESP08/05 of the Road Department of the State of Paraná, for sub-base or fine grained lateritic soil base (SAFL) and in the Technical Specification ET-DEP00/006 of the Road Department of the State of São Paulo (DER/SP) for subbase or crushed stone base. According to the results that were obtained it will be feasible to appraise the usage of these sorts of soils in structure layers of low-weight traffic pavements

Qualidade da construção civil de estrutura de concreto armado, alvenaria de vedação e revestimento externo de obras verticais

The main purpose of this research is to raise, through lab rehearsals, the geometric properties of some oxisols from the region of Vale do Paraíba as well as comparing them to demands prescribed by Technical Specifications ESP08/05 of the Road Department of the State of Paraná, for sub-base or fine grained lateritic soil base (SAFL) and in the Technical Specification ET-DEP00/006 of the Road Department of the State of São Paulo (DER/SP) for subbase or crushed stone base. According to the results that were obtained it will be feasible to appraise the usage of these sorts of soils in structure layers of low-weight traffic pavements

Comportamento geotécnico de misturas de solo e resíduos de perfuração onshore

The drilling of wells for petroleum extraction generates rocks and soils fragments, among other residues. These fragments are denominated petroleum drilling gravel or simply petroleum drilling residue. On the sites of onshore exploration are formed big deposits of drilling gravel, an expensive final destination material. This work aims at evaluating the addition of drilling residue to a lateritic soil, as composite material, for construction of compacted fills for earth work projects. Soil and residue were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and by laboratory tests traditionally used in soil mechanics, as particle-size analysis of soils, determination of liquid and plasticity indexes and compaction test. After soil and residue characterization, soil-residue mixtures were studied, using dosages of 2,5%, 5%, 10%, and 15% of residue in relation to the dry soil mass. These mixtures were submitted to compaction test, CBR, direct shear test and consolidation test. The test results were compared to the current legislation of DNIT for compacted fill construction. The results showed that the mixtures presented the minimal necessary parameters, allowing, from the point of view of geotechnical analysis, the use of these mixtures for construction of compacted fills

Capacidade de carga de misturas de solo laterítico e desbastes de pneus

Government efforts have found some obstacles in achieving a better infrastructure regarding environmental preservation requirements. There is a need to develop new techniques that leave the big exploitation of environmental resources. This study measures the evaluation of the behavior of a composite formed by lateritic soil mix and tire buffings. In this way, a road embankment model was developed to assess the bearing capacity of the composite. This study measured the load capacity of the composites with 0%, 10%, 20% and 40% rubber mixed with the soil, by weight, iron plate loading tests on a simulated embankment in a metal box of 1.40 x 1.40 x 0.80 m. After four compaction layers of the composite, a plate test was performed, and then stress-settlement curves were obtained for the material. The embankments with 20% and 40% rubber content was difficult to compact. There was a significant reduction in the load capacity of the soil-plate system with increasing rubber content. The composite with the lowest loss of bearing capacity in relation to the reference soil was the one with a χ = 10%. In the load capacity tests, another aspect noted was the bearing capacity in terms of CBR. The results also show a gradual decrease in bearing capacity in the composites as with the rubber incorporation content increases. As in the plate load tests, the composite that had the lower bearing capacity loss was also that with 10% content.

Análise de microestrutura e de características geotécnicas de misturas de resíduo de polimento de porcelanato e solo

Brazil is a country in development, rich in natural resources. In order to grow sustainably, it is necessary to Brazil to preserve its environment, which is an expressive challenge, especially to industries, such as those producing ceramic materials. This study was developed using Porcelain Tile Polishing Residue (RPP) in blends with soil to build compacted fills. This residue is a slurry generated during the polishing process of porcelain tiles and contains powdery material from the polished tile, the abrasives used during the process and cooling water. The RPP was collected from a private company located in Conde/PB and it was mixed with a sandy-clayey soil, to build the fills. Laboratorial tests were conducted with pure soil, pure RPP and blends in proportions of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of RPP in addition to the dry mass of pure soil. The Chemical and Physical Characterization tests performed were: specific solid weight, grain size distribution, laser analysis of grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, X ray fluorescence, X ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and soil compaction,. The materials and blends were also compacted and direct shear tests and plate load tests were performed. Plate load tests were conducted using a circular plate with 30 cm diameter, on specimens of pure soil and 5% blend, compacted in a metallic box inside the Soil Mechanics Laboratory of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Both mechanical tests performed were conducted under inundated conditions, willing to reduce the influence of soil suction. An evaluation of the results of the tests performed shows that RPP is a fine material, with grain size distribution smaller than 0,015mm, composed mainly of silica and alumina, and particles in angular shape. The soil was characterized as a clayey sand, geologically known as a lateritic soil, with high percentages of alumina and iron oxide, and particles with rounded shape. Both the Soil and the blends presented low plasticity, while the residue showed a medium plasticity. Direct shear tests showed that the addition of RPP did not cause major changes into blends’ friction angle data, however, it was possible to note that, for the proportions studied, that is a tendency of obtain lower shear stresses for higher percentages of RPP in the blends. Both pure soil and 5% mixture showed a punching disruption for the Plate load test. For this same test, the allowable stress for 5% mixture was 44% higher than the pure soil, and smaller vertical settlement results for all stresses.

Análise de microestrutura e de características geotécnicas de misturas de resíduo de polimento de porcelanato e solo

Brazil is a country in development, rich in natural resources. In order to grow sustainably, it is necessary to Brazil to preserve its environment, which is an expressive challenge, especially to industries, such as those producing ceramic materials. This study was developed using Porcelain Tile Polishing Residue (RPP) in blends with soil to build compacted fills. This residue is a slurry generated during the polishing process of porcelain tiles and contains powdery material from the polished tile, the abrasives used during the process and cooling water. The RPP was collected from a private company located in Conde/PB and it was mixed with a sandy-clayey soil, to build the fills. Laboratorial tests were conducted with pure soil, pure RPP and blends in proportions of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of RPP in addition to the dry mass of pure soil. The Chemical and Physical Characterization tests performed were: specific solid weight, grain size distribution, laser analysis of grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, X ray fluorescence, X ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and soil compaction,. The materials and blends were also compacted and direct shear tests and plate load tests were performed. Plate load tests were conducted using a circular plate with 30 cm diameter, on specimens of pure soil and 5% blend, compacted in a metallic box inside the Soil Mechanics Laboratory of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Both mechanical tests performed were conducted under inundated conditions, willing to reduce the influence of soil suction. An evaluation of the results of the tests performed shows that RPP is a fine material, with grain size distribution smaller than 0,015mm, composed mainly of silica and alumina, and particles in angular shape. The soil was characterized as a clayey sand, geologically known as a lateritic soil, with high percentages of alumina and iron oxide, and particles with rounded shape. Both the Soil and the blends presented low plasticity, while the residue showed a medium plasticity. Direct shear tests showed that the addition of RPP did not cause major changes into blends’ friction angle data, however, it was possible to note that, for the proportions studied, that is a tendency of obtain lower shear stresses for higher percentages of RPP in the blends. Both pure soil and 5% mixture showed a punching disruption for the Plate load test. For this same test, the allowable stress for 5% mixture was 44% higher than the pure soil, and smaller vertical settlement results for all stresses.

Avaliação da resistência mecânica de material leve utilizando misturas de pedaços de pneus com solo do Distrito Federal

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, 2016.

Modeling field load tests in lateritic unsaturated soil

Many models for unsaturated soil have been developed in the last years, accompanying the development of experimental techniques to deal with such soils. The benchmark of the models for unsaturated soil can be assigned to the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) now incorporated in some codes such as the CODE_BRIGHT. Most of those models were validated considering limited laboratory test results and not much validation is available considering real field problems. This paper presents modeling results of field plate load tests performed under known suction on a lateritic unsaturated soil. The required input data were taken from laboratory tests performed under suction control. The modeling nicely reproduces field tests allowing appreciating the influence of soil suction on the stress-settlement curve. In addition, wetting induced or collapse settlements were calculated from field tests and were nicely duplicated by the numerical analysis performed.

Haematite in Lateritic Soils Aids Groundwater Disinfection

Microbiologically contaminated water severely impacts public health in low-income countries, where treated water supplies are often inaccessible to much of the population. Groundwater represents a water source that commonly has better microbiological quality than surface water. A 2-month intensive flow and quality monitoring programme of a spring in a densely settled, unsewered parish of Kampala, Uganda, revealed the persistent presence of high chloride and nitrate concentrations that reflect intense loading of sewage in the spring’s catchment. Conversely, thermotolerant coliform bacteria counts in spring water samples remained very low outside of periods of intense rainfall. Laboratory investigations of mechanisms responsible for this behavior, achieved by injecting a pulse of H40/1 bacteriophage tracer into a column packed with locally derived granular laterite, resulted in near-total tracer adsorption. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the laterite to consist predominantly of quartz and kaolinite, with minor amounts (<5%) of haematite. Batch studies comparing laterite adsorption capacity with a soil having comparable mineralogy, but with amorphous iron oxide rather than haematite, showed the laterite to have a significantly greater capacity to adsorb bacteriophage. Batch study results using pure haematite confirmed that its occurrence in laterite contributes substantially to micro-organism attenuation observed and serves to protect underlying groundwater.

The cone loading test to estimate deformability moduli of a tropical soil

The Cone Loading Test (CLT) consists of the execution of a load test on the piezocone probe in conjunction with the CPT test. The CLT yields the modulus ECLT, a parameter that can be used in the estimative of foundation settlement. It is also presented here the interpretation and the process to determine ECLT values from the stress-displacement curves obtained from cone loading tests. Several CLT tests were conducted at the experimental research site of São Paulo State University, Bauru-SP-Brazil. The geotechnical profile at the studied site is a brown to bright red slightly clayey fine sand, a tropical soil common to this region which is lateritic, unsaturated and collapsible. The results of CLT tests satisfactorily represent the behavior of the investigated soil. The penetrometric modulus ECLT for each depth was calculated considering the elastic behavior in the initial linear segment of the soil stress-strain curve. The ECLT moduli obtained for the various tests were compared to moduli obtained from PMT and DMT test results performed at same studied site. The shear modulus degradation curves obtained from the CLT tests are also presented. The comparison to PMT and DMT results indicates the CLT test is a viable complementary test to the CPT in the quest for better understanding stress-strain behavior of soils. Further, the CLT test provides a graphic visualization of the degradation of the shear modulus with increasing levels of strain. As a hybrid geotechnical test, CPT+CLT can be valuable in the investigation of non-conventional collapsible soils, whose literature lack reference parameters for the prediction of settlement in the design of foundations.

Shear strength of a natural and compacted tropical soil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)