Abstract:
To contribute to a better fundamental understanding of the deformation behavior for Suzhou quaternary sedimentary soils, using GCTS cylinder apparatus cyclic loading testing system, a total of 40 cyclic triaxial tests are performed on various kinds of undisturbed soils at depth less than 100 m corresponding to a wide strain range in the order of 10
-5 to 10
-2. It is revealed that the variation characteristics of the normalized dynamic shear modulus (
G/Gmax) and damping ratio (
λ) with the increasing shear strain (
γ) are strongly influenced by the sedimentary facies, depths and types of soils. The reduction of
G/Gmax with the increasing values of
γ when
γ <10
-4 is small, and the soils show nonlinear elasticity. Under the identical conditions, the test results demonstrate that the increasing depth shifts the values of
G/Gmax and the relationship between
λ and
γ. Moreover, the sediments of flooded plain facies are more linear and have slightly smaller values of λ with the increasing values of
γ than the sediments of littoral facies. Under the same sedimentary facies and similar depth, the reduction rates of
G/Gmax with the increasing values of
γ for silty sand, silty clay and clay have a descending order, and the values of
λ under the same
γ for silty sand, silty clay and clay increase successively.