Summary
This paper presents a study on the residual shear strength of a plastic clay (Boom clay) under high suction. The device, an adaptation of Bromhead ring shear apparatus to allow for suction control during shearing, is first described and the experimental procedure detailed. Then, results of shear strength measured under a suction equal to 70 MPa, several vertical stresses and different shearing history (first-shearing and shearing on pre-sheared samples) are presented and discussed. They evidence a huge increase in the residual friction angle whose value is $15^ˆ$ greater than that measured in saturated conditions and a highly dilatant response during first-shearing. ESEM micrographs performed on samples sheared in saturated and unsaturated conditions suggest that such a response can be explained by the character more granular of the dry material as a result of particle aggregation. Comparison with results obtained by \cite{JV:17} on a low-plastic clay indicate that this effect is enhanced by the plasticity of the clay.
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Vaunat, J., Merchán, V., Romero, E., Pineda, J. (2007). Residual Strength of Clays at High Suctions. In: Schanz, T. (eds) Theoretical and Numerical Unsaturated Soil Mechanics. Springer Proceedings in Physics 113, vol 113. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-69876-0_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-69876-0_17
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