Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T15:46:59.868Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Engineering characteristics of sand-clay mixtures used for clay cores of earth-fill dams

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

Z. Gökalp*
Affiliation:
Erciyes University Seyrani Agricultural Faculty, Agricultural Structures and Irrigation Department, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey
*

Abstract

Clay is the main construction material for clay cores of earth-fill dams. Clay minerals swell when they become wet and shrink when they dry out; cracks develop as they lose moisture. If precautions are not taken to prevent seepage through these cracks, dam failures may result. In this study, sand was added to montmorillonite-dominant clay soils to investigate the effect of sand-inclusion rates on the engineering characteristics of clay soils used in the construction of clay cores of earth-fill dams. Changes in the consistency limits, compaction characteristics, permeability, stress-strain relationships and swelling characteristics with increasing sand inclusion rates were evaluated. Based on the results from experimental trials, a 30% sand inclusion rate appears to be the optimum proportion; most of the swelling occurred in the voids of grains and led to permeability levels below the allowable limits for earth-fill dams.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al-Mhaidip, A. (1999) Swelling behavior of expansive shales from the middle region of Saudi Arabia. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 16, 291307.Google Scholar
Anonymous (1986) Seepage Control in Embankments. U.S. Department of Army, Engineering Manual (EM), 1110-2-1901.Google Scholar
Anonymous (1998) Influence of short polymeric fibers on crack development in clays. U.S. Army Engineer Research and DevelopmentCenter, Repair-Evaluation Maintenance Rehabilitation Technical Note, GT SE-1.8.Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000a) Standard test method for particlesize analysis of soils. Pp. 10-17 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 422. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000b) Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (Unified Soil Classification System). Pp. 238-248 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 2487. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000c) Standard test methods for liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of soils. Pp. 546-558 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 4318. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000d) Standard test methods for shrinkage factors of soils by the mercury method. Pp. 22-25 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 427. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1); 22-25.Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000e) Standard test method for laboratory compaction characteristics of soil using standard effort. Pp. 78-85 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 698. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000f) Standard test method for measurement of hydraulic conductivity of saturated porous materials using a flexible wall permeameter. Pp. 985-992 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 5084. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000g) Standard test method for consolidated undrained triaxial compression test for cohesive soils. Pp. 882-891 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, D 4767. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Anonymous (2000h) Standard test methods for one-dimensional swell of settlement potential of cohesive soils. Pp. 693-699 in: Annual Book of ASTM Standards. American Society for Testing and Materials, Section 4, 04.08(1).Google Scholar
Azam, S. & Abduljauwad, S.N. (2000) Influence of gypsification on engineering behavior of expansive clay. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 126, 538542.Google Scholar
El-Sohby, M.A. & El-Sayed, A.R. (1981) Some factors affecting swelling of clayey soils. Geotechnical Engineering, 12, 1939.Google Scholar
Gromko, G.J. (1974) Review of expansive soils. Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 100, 667687.Google Scholar
Gutierrez, M. (2003) Mixture theory characterization and modeling of soil mixtures. Geomechanics, testing, modeling, and simulation (GSP 143). Ist Japan-U. S. Workshop on Testing, Modeling, and Simulation. June 27-29, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Google Scholar
Hosseini, M.M. (2002) Performance of mixed-clay as core material for earth dams. The Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 7 (A), Available online: http://www.ejge.com/2002/Ppr026/Abs026.htm Google Scholar
Komornik, A. & David, D. (1969) Prediction of swelling pressure of clays. Journal of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Division. ASCE, 95, 209225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, C. & Evett, J.B. (1997) Soil Properties. Testing, Measurement and Evaluation, 3rd edition. Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA.Google Scholar
Mahasneh, B.Z. & Shawabkeh, R.A. (2005) Compressive strength and permeability of sand-cement-clay composite and application for heavy metals stabilization. Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. Available online: http://www.ejge.com/2005/Ppr0528/Ppr0528.htm Google Scholar
Shafiee, A. (2008) Permeability of compacted granuleclay mixtures. Engineering Geology, 97, 199208.Google Scholar
Wang, J.P., Ling, H.I. & Mohri, Y. (2007) Stress-strain behavior of a compacted sand-clay mixture. Pp. 491502 in: Soil Stress-Strain Behavior; Measurement, Modeling and Analysis (Ling, H.I., Callisto, L., Leshchinsky, D. & Koseki, J., editors). Springer, The Netherlands.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitting, L.D. & Allardice, W.R. (1986) X-ray diffraction techniques. Pp. 331362 in: Methods of Soil Analysis (Klute, A., editor). Agronomy Monograph, 9. ASA and SSSA. Madison, Wisconsin, USA.Google Scholar