Acta Geotechnica (2021) 16:221–236

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-020-01035-2 (0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().
,- volV)

RESEARCH PAPER

Evaluation of monotonic and dynamic shear modulus of sand using

on-sample transducers in cyclic triaxial apparatus
Shiv Shankar Kumar1 • Arindam Dey2 • A. Murali Krishna3

Received: 25 September 2019 / Accepted: 13 July 2020 / Published online: 21 July 2020
Ó Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract
This paper highlights the importance of the measurement of local strains in triaxial test using on-sample transducers.
Specimens of sandy soil, prepared at two different relative densities (30% and 90%), were subjected to different effective
confining stresses, and sheared monotonically as well as cyclically. Local strain measurements are obtained using Hall-type
on-sample transducers attached at the mid-height of the specimen. The measurements from the on-sample transducers were
further used to determine the modulus degradation curve for low-strain (less than 0.01%) to high-strain (greater than 1.0%)
levels. Maximum shear modulus estimated from the cyclic tests is found to have an agreeable match with the same
obtained from the monotonic tests corresponding to very low strains, as well as with those obtained from standard
correlations. The experimental study indicates that for both monotonic and cyclic triaxial tests, the on-sample transducers
can be effectively used to measure local strains in the soil specimen and evaluate the corresponding strain-dependent
dynamic shear modulus.

Keywords Dynamic properties  Local strain  Modulus degradation curve  On-sample transducers  Sand 
Triaxial test

1 Introduction are prepared for various relative densities and confining

pressures, by normalizing experimentally estimated shear
The responses of soil, in the field or in the laboratory, modulus values by the maximum shear modulus (i.e.
subjected to static and dynamic loading are highly depen- stiffness at very small strain, B 10-4%). The modulus
dent on the strains induced (ranging from 0.0001% to 7%) degradation curve is an important asset to characterize the
within the soil mass [44, 46, 48, 67, 69]. The dynamic strain-dependent response of soil, for the practical appli-
behaviour of soil is commonly represented by shear mod- cations in soil dynamics and earthquake geotechnical
ulus and damping ratio. Further, shear degradation curves engineering projects related to foundations, retaining
structures and slopes. Several experimental techniques
(static and cyclic triaxial test, simple shear test, resonant
& Arindam Dey column test and bender element test) are available to
arindamdeyiitg16@gmail.com
measure the strain-dependent response of soils over dif-
Shiv Shankar Kumar ferent ranges of strains. Among the stated techniques, the
shivshankar.mit@gmail.com; k.shiv.ce@nitp.ac.in
conventional triaxial shear test is commonly adopted as it is
A. Murali Krishna capable of accommodating high strains during the tests
amk@iittp.ac.in
without assuming any predefined failure plane. Such tests
1
Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of commonly employ an external LVDT (linear variable dif-
Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar 800005, India ferential transducer) to measure the global strain induced in
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of the sample. In any triaxial sample, the presence of the end
Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India platens and porous stones (at the top and bottom of the
3
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Indian sample) generates higher restraint against deformation and
Institute of Technology Tirupati, Tirupati, leads to the development of stress concentration zones at
Andhra Pradesh 517506, India

123
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ACTA GEOTECHNICA
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Publisher: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG ,
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HEIDELBERG, GERMANY, D-69121
Language ISSN / eISSN: 1861-1125 / 1861-1133
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