Stress-strain properties for the frozen media sand at different temperature gradients during two stress paths

The conventional triaxial compression (CTC) and reduced triaxial compression (RTC)tests are performed on the frozen medium sand subject to K0 consolidation and loaded freezing at different temperature gradients. The effects of temperature gradients and the stress paths on the stress-stain properties are investigated. The results indicate that the relationship types between the axial deformation and the deviator stress for the frozen medium sand during the RTC process and at different temperature gradients present the similar laws as the traditional test results, moreover, the relationships between which can be described by the modified hyperbolic model by using the linear function of the temperature gradients. However, there are evident differences in the stress-strain properties at different temperature gradients and stress paths for the weakening effects. In other words, the temperature gradients result in the non-homogeneous properties and lead to the decrease of the initial slopes together with the ability of resisting the deformation. In addition, the deviator stress ratios in the process of RTC decrease greatly compared with CTC process for the weakening effects of RTC process.