Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

© 2005–2006 Millpress Science Publishers/IOS Press.

Published with Open Access under the Creative Commons BY-NC Licence by IOS Press.
doi:10.3233/978-1-61499-656-9-397

Drained and undrained elastic moduli of reconstituted clay

Modules élastiques drainés et non drainés d’une argile reconstituée

T. Kawaguchi
Hakodate National College of Technology, Hakodate, Japan
T. Mitachi
Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
S. Shibuya
Faculty of Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan

ABSTRACT
The behavior of elastic stiffness involved with strains less than 10-5 was examined over a wide stress range when a reconstituted clay
is subjected to drained and undrained shear. The tests were carried out by using a fully automated triaxial apparatus equipped with
bender elements. The drained/undrained elastic Young’s moduli in the vertical direction, (Ev)d and (Ev)u, from stress-strain relation-
ship, together with the elastic shear modulus, Gvh, from shear wave velocity measurement using bender elements, were each success-
fully characterized in terms of the current stress as well as the stress history. Interrelationship among (Ev)d, (Ev)u and Gvh was also dis-
cussed, bearing the stiffness anisotropy at small strains in mind.
RÉSUMÉ
L’évolution des rigidités élastiques mises en jeu pour des déformations inférieures à 10-5m/m, a été étudiée pour une argile reconsti-
tuée sous des chargements déviatoires en conditions drainées et non drainées, pour un large domaine de contrainte. Les essais ont été
effectués au moyen d’un appareil triaxial entièrement automatisé et muni de capteurs piézoélectriques de type «Bender». Les modules
d’Young élastiques verticaux, drainés et non drainés, respectivement (Ev)d et (Ev)u, sont issus de la relation contrainte-déformation,
tandis que le module de cisaillement (Gvh), est obtenu à partir de la mesure des vitesses des ondes de cisaillement émises par les élé-
ments de type «Bender». Chacun de ces modules a pu être caractérisé avec succès par l’intermédiaire de l’état de contrainte courant et
de l’histoire de chargement. D’autre part, les relations liant (Ev)d, (Ev)u et (Gvh) sont discutées et analysées dans un cadre élastique ani-
sotrope en petites déformations.

1 INTRODUCTION stresses, ∆σ'v�and� ∆σ'h, in axi-symmetrical conditions of de-

formation, are expressed in Eq.(1), respectively.
The stress-strain behavior of geomaterials may well be charac-
terized as 'elastic' when the induced strains at shearing are less 1 2ν 1 − ν hh ν
∆ε v = ∆σ v' − hv ∆σ h' , ∆ε h = ∆σ h' − vh ∆σ v' (1)
than 10-5 (e.g. Tatsuoka et al. 1997). Cross-anisotropy in stiff- Ev Eh Eh Ev
ness is often assumed for the small-strain behavior (e.g. Atkin-
son, 1975, Bishop & Hight 1977 among others). In sandy soils, where νvh, νhv and νhh are Poisson's ratio.Similarly, the shear
such anisotropy resulted in the responses of Young's modulus, strain increments, ∆γvh (∆γhv)�and�∆γhh, are given in Eq.(2).
E, and shear modulus, G, both of which depended on the direc-
tions of loading and shearing, respectively (e.g., Yamashita & 1 1
Suzuki, 2001, Yimsiri & Soga, 2002, 2003). In cohesive soils ∆γ vh (γ hv ) = ∆τ vh (τ hv ) , ∆γ hh = ∆τ hh (2)
Gvh (= Ghv ) Ghh
with poor permeability, the measurement of E is technically not
straightforward, so the anisotropy may be observed for the G- Postulating the symmetry of the compliance matrix, together
value from shear wave velocity measurement in the laboratory with isotropy of deformation in the horizontal plane, the elastic
using bender elements (BEs). For example, the Gvh-value when parameters are correlated as shown in Eqs.(3) and (4);
the shear wave propagates in the vertical with the grain motion
in the horizontal was smaller than Ghh (e.g. Jovi�i� & Coop,
ν vh Ev = ν hv Eh (3)
1998).
Despite that five independent parameters are required to Eh
fully define the cross-anisotropy of the stiffness, it is difficult to Ghh = (4)
directly measure all of these in tests on cohesive soils, in par- 2(1 + ν hh )
ticular. In this paper, the behavior of drained and undrained
Young's moduli in the vertical direction, (Ev)d and (Ev)u, to- When the undrained conditions at small strains, i.e., ∆εv + 2∆εh
gether with Gvh, of a reconstituted clay was measured over wide = 0, is applied to Eq.(1), the undrained Poisson's ratio, (νvh)u,
ranges of stress and the stress history by using triaxial apparatus (νhv)u and (νhh)u are;
equipped with BEs. The results were interpreted within the
framework of cross-anisotropy with an aid of micromechanics (ν vh )u = 0.5 , (ν hv )u + (ν hh )u = 1 (5)
model (Yimsiri & Soga, 2002).
(refer to Atkinson, 1975, Bishop & Hight 1977)
Since (Ev)u=(∆σ'v�∆σ'h)/∆εv=∆q/∆εv is obtained by substitut-
2 ELASTIC DEFORMATION MODULI IN TRIAXIAL ing Eqs.(3) and (5) into Eq.(1), (Ev)u can be directly estimated
TEST from the relationship between deviator stress, q (=σ'v�σ'h) and
εv in undrained monotonic or cyclic loading test. Similarly, (Ev)d
Assuming cross-anisotropy in the stiffness, the vertical (i.e., ax- can also be estimated from the similar relationship in drained
ial) and horizontal (i.e., radial) strain increments, ∆εv and ∆εh, monotonic or cyclic loading test, since ∆σ'v=∆σv and ∆σ'h=∆σh
induced by the increments of the corresponding effective in drained conditions.

397
 NSF clay 1 300 NSF clay 1 500 NSF clay 1
500
B a) J b) Μ = 1.2 c)
Μ = 1.2

Deviator stress, q (=σ'v–σ'h) (kPa)

Μ = 1.2

Deviator stress, q (=σ'v–σ'h) (kPa)

Deviator stress, q (=σ'v–σ'h) (kPa)

C : stress points where

400 : consolidation stress 400
AE Gvh were measured by BE tests
FD A : CD1 200 Q O : CUB1
300 B : CD2 300 P : CUB2
C : CD3 K Q : CUB3
D : CD4 J : CSD1 R R : CUB4
I K : CSD2 200
200 E : CD5 P
H 100 L : CSD3
G F : CD6 L O
G : CU1 M : CSU1 100
100
H : CU2 N : CSU2
M
I : CU3 N swelling
0 100 200 300 400 500 0 100 200 300 0 100 200 300 400 500
Mean effective stress, p' (=(σ'v+2σ'h)/3) (kPa) Mean effective stress , p' (=(σ'v+2σ'h)/3) (kPa) Mean effective stress, p' (=(σ'v+2σ'h)/3) (kPa)
Figure 1. Effective stress path of (a) CD & CU, (b) CSD & CSU and (c) CUB series tests

Table 1. Some details of tests performed 10

NSF clay

Deviator stress, q (=σ'v–σ'h) (kPa)

Consol./swell. Shear Drained shear Undrained shear
Tests Drainage p' σ'v dεv/dt Elastic moduli 8
∗
K OCR OCR = 4 OCR = 4
(kPa) (kPa) condition (%/min) (MPa)
CD1 1.0 203 203 (Ev)d =107 6 1
CD2 1.0 278 279 (Ev)d =125, (Ev)u =168 (Ev)d = 59 (Ev)u = 80
CD3 1.0 301 300 (Ev)d =142 (MPa) (MPa)
1 Drained 0.0006 4 1
CD4 0.8 202 233 (Ev)d =104
CD5 0.8 242 279 (Ev)d =115, (Ev)u =153 a) b)
CD6 0.6 204 276 (Ev)d =109 2
CSD1 1.0 2 153 153 (Ev)d =88 CSD2 CSU1
CSD2 1.0 4 81 81 Drained 0.0006 (Ev)d =59 0
CSD3 1.0 8 40 41 (Ev)d =40 0 0.005 0.01 0 0.005 0.01
CU1 1.0 202 202 (Ev)u =137
Vertical strain, εv (%) Vertical strain, εv (%)
CU2 0.6 1 204 277 Undrained 0.2 (Ev)u =139 Figure 2. Examples for the relationship between q and εv at small strains
CU3 1.0 302 302 (Ev)u =180
CSU1 1.0 4 77 78 (Ev)u =80
Undrained 0.2 using the axial strain rates of dεv/dt = 0.0006 %/min. and dεv//dt
CSU2 1.0 8 40 40 (Ev)u =54
CUB1 1.0 174 174 (Ev)u =123, Gvh =43 = 0.2%/min. for the drained and undrained tests, respectively. In
CUB2 1.0 300 300 (Ev)u =173, Gvh =60 drained tests, each test took about seventeen days to complete
1 Undrained 0.02 shear. In CUB series on normally consolidated samples, both of
CUB3 1.0 500 500 (Ev)u =248, Gvh =85
CUB4 K0 §
289 400 (Ev)u =169, Gvh =56 Gvh and (Ev)u were measured at the start of undrained shear by
∗ : K=σ'v / σ'h, § : K0-value is 0.59 using the axial strain rate of dεv/dt = 0.02 %/min. (see Fig.1c).
Note that in tests CD2 and CD5, the (Ev)u value was also meas-
ured at the end of consolidation by applying cyclic loadings
Assuming that the shear modulus, G, is not affected by with a single axial strain amplitude of (εv)SA = 0.005 %. It
drainage conditions, three stiffness parameters, i.e., drained and should be mentioned that the excess pore pressure in the drained
undrained Young's moduli in the vertical direction, (Ev)d and tests with lateral drainage system was less than 0.5 kPa when
(Ev)u, and Gvh (= (Gvh)u = (Gvh)d ), can be directly measured in measured at the center of specimen end (Kawaguchi et al, 2003).
triaxial test with shear wave velocity measurement, whereas the The details how to determine Gvh in BE test have been discussed
other stiffnesses are unknown. by Kawaguchi et al (2001).
Figure 2 shows a couple of examples how (Ev)d and (Ev)u
were determined. The (Ev)d was determined by means of linear
3 TESTS PERFORMED fitting applied to the stress-strain relationship over a range of εv
� 0.001 % (Fig.2a), whereas the (Ev)u using a faster rate was ob-
The powder clay (called NSF clay) with IP = 26 was mixed tained in a similar way over a strain range of εv � 0.005%
thoroughly with distilled water. The initial water content was (Fig.2b). It should be mentioned that the effects of creep strain
about twice the liquid limit wL = 55 %. The vertical preconsoli- during shear was properly accounted for when (Ev)d was deter-
dation pressure applied was 150 kPa that was maintained con- mined (Kawaguchi et al, 2003).
stant over 10 days. A fully digitized triaxial apparatus equipped
with a direct drive motor was used for the testing. The apparatus
is featured by an extremely high resolution of axial displace- 4 THEORETICAL INTERRELATIONSHIP AMONG
ment control, backlash free in cyclic loading, fully automated VARIOUS ELASTIC DEFORMATION MODULI
servo-control and data acquisition system, etc (Shibuya et al,
2001, Kawaguchi et al, 2002). In order to reduce the number of independent elastic constants,
All the triaxial tests performed are summarized in Table 1 Graham & Houlsby (1983) adopted the following assumption;
(refer also to Kawaguchi et al, 2003). Figure 1a shows the effec-
tive stress paths of CD (i.e., consolidated-drained) and CU (i.e., Eh � ν hv � � Ghh �
2 2

consolidated-undrained) series of tests on normally consolidated =� � =� � (6)

samples with OCR = 1.0. Comparable results of CSD and CSU Ev �� ν hh �� �� Gvh ��
series of tests using over-consolidated samples with OCR > 1 The micromechanics model proposed by Yimsiri & Soga (2000)
are shown in Fig.1b. In each test, the Young's modulus, (Ev)d or agrees well with Graham & Houlsby's model for some typical
(Ev)u, at small-strains was measured at the start of shearing by soils (Yimsiri & Soga, 2003). The micromechanics model re-

398
 4
: Graham & Houlsby (Ghh /Gvh) NSF clay

Elastic moduli, (Ev)u, 3Gvh (MPa)

3 250
, : CUB1
2
(Ev)u / 3Gvh , Ghh / Gvh

, : CUB2
200 , : CUB3
1 , : CUB4

0.7 Micromechanics model 150 ( , )

KR/KN=0.5 KR/KN=1.0
0.5 Gvh : , , ,
(Ev)u / 3Gvh
100 (Ev)u : , , ,
Ghh / Gvh

0.25 0.5 0.7 1 2 3 4 0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Eh / Ev Mean effective stress, p' (=(σ'v+2σ'h)/3) (kPa)
Figure 3. Variations of (Ev)u/3Gvh and Ghh/Gvh when calculated by mi- Figure 4. Variations of (Ev)u and 3Gvh with p'
cromechanics model
0.00
NSF clay Ν = 0.693 a) Ζu = 0.986 b) Ζd = 0.925 c)
–0.04
1 1 1
Change of void ratio, ∆ e

–0.08
λ = 0.161 ψu = 0.234 ψd = ψu
–0.12 1
κ = 0.0408
–0.16

–0.20 ξu =0.0683
: CU1–3 ξd = ξu
–0.24 : CSU1–2 1 1
: CU1–3
–0.28 : CUB1–4 : CD1–6 : CSU1–2 : CD1–6
: CD2, 5 : CSD1–3 : CUB1–4 : CD2, 5 : CSD1–3
–0.32
40 70 100 300 600 40 60 80 100 300 40 60 80 100 300
Mean effective stress, p' (=(σ'v+2σ'h)/3) (kPa) Undrained Young's modulus, (Ev)u (MPa) Drained Young's modulus, (Ev)d (MPa)
Figure 5. Relationship between ∆e and p', (Ev)u, (Ev)d for a), b), c)

quires some parameters defined at the particulate level, each dif- cant for the behavior of not only (Ev)u but also (Ev)d (see tests
ficult to be quantified. However, the model can easily express CD 1, 4, 6 in Table 1 and Fig.5) in this sample.
the effects of the ratio of two elastic constants. The details of
this model can be found in Yimsiri & Soga (2002, 2003).
Figure 3 shows the variation of (Ev)u/3Gvh and Ghh/Gvh when 5 FORMULATION OF VARIOUS ELASTIC
calculated according to micromechanics model. In this double- DEFORMATION MODULI
logarithmic plot, the relationship with Eq.(6) is also plotted for
comparison. Note also that the KR/KN stands for the ratio of tan- Figure 5 shows the ∆e − ln p' relationship, together with the
gential contact stiffness to normal contact stiffness (refer to variations of (Ev)u and (Ev)d of all the tests. It should be men-
Yimsiri & Soga, 2002). tioned that the ∆e means the change of void ratio calculated
According to the results with micromechanics model, the from the start of consolidation in each test. The ∆e – ln p' rela-
(Ev)u/3Gvh value lies over a narrow range between 0.9 and 1.1 tionship of the clay tested is linear, and it is unaffected by the
for a wide range of Eh/Ev from 0.7 to 3.0 (see Fig.3). In addition, consolidation paths followed, bearing in mind that the ∆e – ln p'
the Ghh/Gvh calculated by micromechanics model agrees well relationship of some clays depends slightly on the consolidation
with that by Graham & Houlsby's model when 0.5< Eh/Ev <2. path by the effects of dilatancy. (e.g., Mitachi and Kitago, 1976)
Moreover, Ghh > Gvh when Eh > Ev for the results calculated by (see Fig.5a).
both the models. Therefore, for some typical soils, it should be Similarly, the ∆e – ln (Ev)u relationship is linear by showing
stressed that the relationship of (Ev)u ≈ 3Gvh (Eq.(7)) is valid ex- different slopes at normally consolidated (NC) and over-
cept for extreme cases with Eh/Ev > 4 showing strong anisotropy. consolidated (OC) states, and it is unaffected by the consolida-
Note that the majority of experimental data by wave propaga- tion paths followed. This means that the (Ev)u is uniquely related
tion technique gives rise to Ghh > Gvh, suggesting that soils are to p' irrespective of the consolidation paths. Therefore, the (Ev)u
stiffer in the horizontal direction (e.g. Yamashita & Suzuki, has been formulated in Eqs.(8) and (9),
2001, Yimsiri & Soga, 2002, 2003, Jovi�i� & Coop, 1995). λ
�Z −N�
(Ev )u ≈ 3Gvh (7)
(Ev )u = p'ψ u
⋅ exp�� u �
� (8)
� ψu �
�
A comparison between (Ev)u and Gvh is shown in Fig.4, in κ λ κ
− �Z −N �
which the results of CUB series are examined against the cur- (Ev )u = p'ξ u
⋅ p 'ψy u ξu
⋅ exp�� u �
� (9)
rent mean effective stress p'. Note that the 3Gvh value coincided � ψu �
closely with (Ev)u irrespective of p' and the different consolida-
tion paths followed (see tests CUB2 and CUB4). The test results in which λ and κ are compression and swell indices in e – ln
do not indicate directly the effects of the fabric anisotropy, but p' relationship, ψu and ξu refer to the slopes at NC and OC states
the effects of stress-induced anisotropy are seemingly insignifi- of the e − ln (Ev)u relationship and the symbols, Ν and Ζu refer

399
 300 properties (data from Li, 2003). As can be seen in Fig.7, the pa-
NSF clay rameters of ψu and ξu are well correlated to λ and κ, respec-
tively. By applying the postulation of ψd =ψu and ξd =ξu, the
Elastic moduli, (Ev)u, (Ev)d, 3Gvh (MPa)

: CD1–6 , , , : (Ev)u
250 variations of (Ev)u�(Ev)d�Gvh with p' (or e) may be predicted
: CSD1–3 , : (Ev)d
: CU1–3 : 3Gvh by knowing the parameters of λ and κ from conventional oe-
200 : CUB1–4 dometer or triaxial test.
: CD2, 5
: CSU1–2
150 : CUB1–4 6 CONCLUSIONS

i) According to the micromechanics model, the (Ev)u/3Gvh

100
value is close to unity unless the stiffness anisotropy is ex-
: calculated (Ev)d (NC)
tremely strong. The (Ev)u was approximately equal to 3 Gvh
: calculated (Ev)d (OC)
50 for the clay tested.
: calculated (Ev)u (NC) ii) Like e − ln p' relationship, the deformation moduli, (Ev)u,
: calculated (Ev)u (OC) (Ev)d and Gvh, all varies linearly against void ratio in the
0 semi-logarithmic plot. Each of these moduli can therefore
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Mean effective stress, p' (=(σ'v+2σ'h)/3) (kPa) be formulated with this rule.
iii) The slope of e – ln (Ev)u relationship in compression is
Figure 6. Calculated and measured relationship between elastic moduli more or less the same as that of ∆e – ln (Ev)d relationship.
and mean effective stress The same is true for the behavior at swelling.
iv) The variations of (Ev)u, (Ev)d and Gvh with p' (or e) may be
estimated by knowing a set of λ and κ from conventional
a : Drammen e : Higashi–ohgishima i : Kurihama oedometer or triaxial test.
b : Kiyohoro f : Fujinomori j : MC clay
c : Korea g : Singapore k : Osaka (Ma12)
d : NSF clay h : Osaka (Ma11) l : Kyoto (Ma4)
REFERENCES
0.6 0.15
a) b)
j Atkinson, J.H. 1975. Anisotropic elastic deformation in laboratory tests
l
i l on undisturbed London Clay, Géotechnique, 25(2), 357-374.
1 j 1 h
0.4 k 0.1 Bishop, A.W. and Hight, D.W. 1977. The value of Poisson's ratio in
1.25 i 1.8 k
g g saturated soils and rocks stressed under undrained conditions,
h f Géotechnique, 27(3), 369-384.
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f
ξu

d
d e Graham, J. and Houlsby, G. T. 1983. Anisotropic elasticity of a natural
0.2 0.05 c clay, Géotechnique, 33(2), 165-180.
b c e
b Jovi�i�, V. & Coop, M. R. 1998. The measurement of stiffness anisot-
a
a ropy in clays with bender element tests in the triaxial apparatus,
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0 0 Kawaguchi, T., Mitachi,T. & Shibuya, S. 1999. Quantifying deforma-
0 0.2 0.4 0 0.05 0.1
λ κ tion modulus of reconstituted clays at small strains, Journal of
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Figure 7. Relationship between (a) ψu and λ, and between (b) ξu and κ Kawaguchi, T., Mitachi, T. and Shibuya, S. 2001. Evaluation of shear
of several clays wave travel time in laboratory bender element test, Proc. of 15th
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tion stress (refer to Kawaguchi et al, 1999, Shibuya et al, 2002). ment of an elaborate triaxial testing system for deformation of clay,
Journal of JSCE, 708(III-59), 175-186. (in Japanese)
Since those trends are very similar for the ∆e − ln (Ev)d rela- Kawaguchi, T., Mitachi, T., Shibuya, S. and Sato, S. 2003. Evaluation
tionship, the (Ev)d is given in Eqs.(10) and (11), of deformation modulus of clay at small strains based on isotropic
λ elasticity, Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, IS-Lyon, 1,
�Z −N�
(Ev )d = p' ψd
⋅ exp�� d �
� (10)
211-219, Balkema.
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� ψd � sedimentary clay, PhD thesis, Hokkaido University.(in Japanese)
κ λ κ Mitachi, T. and Kitago, S. 1976. Change in undrained shear strength
− �Z −N�
(Ev )d = p' ξd ψ d ξd
⋅ p' y ⋅ exp�� d �
� (11)
characteristics of saturated remolded clay due to swelling, Soils and
Foundations, 16(1), 45-58.
� ψd � Shibuya, S., Mitachi, T., Tanaka, H., Kawaguchi, T. and Lee, I-M. 2002.
where ψd and ξd refer to the slopes at NC and OC states of the e Measurement and application of quasi-elastic properties in geo-
technical site characterization, Theme Lecture for Plenary Session 1,
– ln (Ev)d relationship and the symbol Ζd refers to ∆e at (Ev)d = 1 Proc. of 11th ARCSMGE, 2: 639-710, Balkema.
MPa. It should be noted that the relations of ψd =ψu and ξd =ξu Tatsuoka, F., Jardine, R.J., Lo Presti, D.C.F., Di Benedetto, H. and Ko-
seem to be valid for the clay tested (see Fig.5c). daka, T. 1997. Characterising the pre-failure deformation properties
The variations of (Ev)u, (Ev)d and 3Gvh with p' of all the tests of geomaterials, Theme Lecture for Plenary Session 1, Proc. of
are shown in Fig.6, in which the results of calculation using 14th ICSMGE, Hamburg, 4, 2129-2164.
Eqs.(8)-(11) are also plotted for comparison. The calculated re- Yamashita, S. and Suzuki, T. 2001. Small strain stiffness on anisotropic
sults with ψd =ψu and ξd =ξu well coincided with the observed consolidated state of sands by bender elements and cyclic loading
data. In addition, the 3Gvh is also successfully predicted based tests, Proc. of 15th ICSMGE, Istanbul, 1, 325-328.
on Eq.(8). The results strongly suggest that these elastic defor- Yimsiri, S. and Soga, K. 2002. Application of micromechanics model to
study anisotropy of soils at small strains, Soils and Foundations,
mation moduli are all uniquely related to void ratio alone. Since 42(5), 15-26.
the clay exhibits considerably larger volume change as com- Yimsiri, S. and Soga, K. 2003. Small-strain stiffness anisotropy: rela-
pared to sandy soils, and the volume change in clays is gov- tionship between continuum model and micromechanics model,
erned by p' rather than σ'v alone, for example, the stiffness Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, IS-Lyon, 1, 313-319,
seems as if related to p' (or e). � Balkema.
Figure 7 shows the relationship between ψu and λ, and also
between ξu and κ of clays showing a variety in the intrinsic

400