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Trevor L. L. Orr PhD, CEng, FIEI, MICE
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This briefing highlights the difficulties of standard triaxial compression testing of fibrous peat and representing its
behaviour in a MohrCoulomb framework. Experimental values of effective angle of shearing resistance 9 and
apparent cohesion c9 reported in the literature for fibrous peat are scrutinised, from which the authors conclude that
high 9 values determined from triaxial compression testing can be grossly unconservative. Furthermore, given that
shearing in a peat which is not completely humified involves tearing of entangled fibres and cellular connections in
addition to shearing at frictional contacts, the authors postulate that the apparent cohesion value of fibrous peat is
most likely greater than zero. Hence fundamental research on peat strength and how it is derived needs to be
performed; also there needs to be further development of existing and new specific material models to simulate
more accurately the soft and viscous nature of peat, and the general cross-anisotropic fabric and reinforcement
provided by fibres in peats with low humification.
1.
Introduction
Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 167 Issue GE5
and effective angle of shearing resistance (9) values for peat are
typically determined in consolidated undrained (CU) triaxial
compression tests, with measurement of the pore-water pressure
response, and (or) in direct shear (i.e. shear box), ring shear or
direct simple shear tests.
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F
R
Triaxial compression
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(a)
N W + W
(b)
Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 167 Issue GE5
the force resisting sliding largely depends on the tensile resistance of the peat fibres, which is modelled by the apparent
cohesion c9, if this is present (Farrell, 2012), rather than on
friction. Hence the authors question whether c9 0 is a realistic
value for normally consolidated fibrous peats, especially for the
very low effective stress values typically encountered in the case
of these deposits.
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3.
Apparent cohesion
Summary
WD: 246420 mm
500 m
Det: BE detector
CMA
MIRA\TESCAN
Digital Microsocopy Imaging
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Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 167 Issue GE5
REFERENCES
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