AN ANALYTICAL ASSESSMENT OF MECHANICAL STABILITY CONDITIONS FOR NATURAL SOILS USING CORE DATA FROM GUSAR-DIVICHI TECTONIC ZONE

Abstract

Summary Article describes detailed analytical review of influences different types of deformation processes, from elastic deformation to plastic fracture, which could cause secondary changes of primary inter granular porosity and fluids permeability of soils. Was revealed that the mechanical stability of soils can be determined by calculating the gravitational forces existing in a specific volume of sediment, relative to the friction forces. In this case size of the rock-forming grains, values of inter granular friction, and the pore water content acquire decisive importance. The latter circumstance, respectively, is characterized by the natural porosity of the rocks, the packing density of the grains, and pore pressure. It was revealed also, that the fine-grained soils sediments, such as clay, have a significant amount of inter granular friction and this often prevents clay deposits from sliding, even with low inter granular friction. However, if in clay the pore pressure approaches the weight of the overlying deposits, then the friction component of the slip approaches zero. Therefore, clay, silt and fine-grained sand are the most liquefied fractions and can generate “liquefied streams”.