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Geomechanics and Engineering Volume 25, Number 6, June25 2021 , pages 535-552 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2021.25.6.535 |
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Crack development and coalescence process in drying clayey loess |
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Xin Wei, Mahdia Hattab, Said Taibi, Katia V. Bicalho, Ling Xu and Jean-Marie Fleureau
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| Abstract | ||
| The Chinese Loess Plateau is located in northwestern China. During investigations in loess fields, it was found that, under dry climatic conditions, cracks were prone to appear and propagate in the loess plateau. The presence of cracks and their effect on the engineering properties of loess greatly influence the stability of soil-based structures and can cause severe damages. The purpose of this research was to analyze the drying-induced cracking mechanisms in clayey loess, and to highlight the effect of soil mineralogy. Laboratory tests were performed to simulate the cracking process in loess. The analysis is based on the local two-dimensional strain and displacement fields derived from the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method and the software VIC-2D. The determination of the mechanical strain tensors, i.e., the difference between the total strain and shrinkage strain tensors, and their visual representation allow a deeper understanding of cracking mechanisms. Based on the above methods, crack development and crack coalescence processes were observed and analyzed. Besides, other mechanisms were identified, such as junction and bifurcation of cracks. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| clayey loess; digital image correlation; crack development; mechanical strain tensors; coalescence; bifurcation; junction processes | ||
| Address | ||
| Xin Wei and Ling Xu: School of Human Settlement and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning Road, 700054 Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China Mahdia Hattab; Laboratory of Microstructures and Mechanics of Materials, University of Lorraine, CNRS UMR 7239, Arts et Métiers ParisTech, 57000 Metz, France Said Taibi: Laboratory of Waves and Complex Media, University of Havre, CNRS UMR 6294, 25 rue Philippe Lebon, 76600 Le Havre, France Katia V. Bicalho: Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514 - Goiabeiras, Vitoria - ES, Brasil, 29075-910 Jean-Marie Fleureau: Laboratory of Mechanics of Soils, Structures and Materials, Paris-Saclay University, Centrale Supélec CNRS UMR 8579, 3 rue Joliot Curie, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France | ||