THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH PORE-WATER PRESSURE ON THE STRENGTH OF COHESIONLESS SOILS

The influence on the mechanical properties of saturated particulate materials of the component stress carried by water filling the pore space is fundamental to theoretical and experimental studies in soil mechanics. The role of pore pressure in controlling compressibility and shear strength is expressed in Terzaghi's principle of effective stress to a degree of accuracy sufficiently accurate for most engineering purposes. The precise significance of the small but finite area of interparticle contact has remained uncertain in the application of this equation to shearing resistance. In the article the possible errors associated with the use of expressions for intergranular stress and effective stress are examined. Such errors are of significant magnitude at high values of pore pressure and low values of yield stress of the solid which forms the particles. An accurate experimental investigation has been carried out into the sensitivity of shearing resistance to large changes in pore pressure using particulate materials ranging in strength from quartz sand to lead shot. The results indicate that the simple terzaghi effective stress equation is consistent with all the observations although for quartz sand a range of pore pressure changes of an order of magnitude higher is desirable for additional confirmatory evidence. (TRRL)

• Availability:
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• Corporate Authors:

  Royal Society of London

  6 Carleton House Terrace
  London SW1Y 5AG,   England 
• Authors:
  • Bishop, A W
  • Skinner, A E
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 91-130
• Serial:
  • Royal Society of London-Philosophical Transactions
  • Issue Number: 284
  • Publisher: Royal Society of London
  • ISSN: 0079-1636

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Asphalt mixtures; Calculation; Cohesion; Compressibility; Equations; Forecasting; Granular soils; Mathematical models; Mechanical properties; Particles; Pore pressure; Pore water pressures; Porosity; Sand; Saturated soils; Shale oil; Shear strength; Soils; Strength of materials; Stresses; Terzaghi's rule
• Old TRIS Terms: Shale oil asphalt
• ITRD Terms: 6464: Calculation; 5903: Cohesion; 6440: Error; 132: Forecast; 6473: Mathematical model; 4511: Particle; 5762: Pore water pressure; 5938: Porosity; 5531: Shear; 4156: Soil; 5544: Strength (mater); 5575: Stress (in material)
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00388908
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM