Acta Geotechnica最新文献

{"title":"Interface behaviour of fibre optic strain sensors in cement-improved soil","authors":"Sølve Hov,&nbsp;You-Jia Li,&nbsp;Gyubeom Shin,&nbsp;Matthew J. DeJong,&nbsp;Kenichi Soga,&nbsp;Priscilla Paniagua,&nbsp;Stefan Ritter","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02955-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02955-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper investigates distributed fibre optic strain sensing (DFOSS) in cement-improved soil, with focus on sensor–soil interface behaviour. Pull-out tests were conducted to evaluate interface bond strength and shear stiffness of four commercially available fibre optic sensors. Subsequently, laboratory-scale column compression tests, both uniform and layered, were conducted using either four identical sensor cables or four different types of sensor cables. The experimental results were interpreted using analytical methods and a finite element model incorporating a disturbed state concept-based interface model. The findings show that the sensor type has a significant influence on the interface behaviour with varying bond strengths and interface stiffnesses. In layered columns, interface shear stresses were mobilised at the interlayer boundary due to relative displacements between the sensor and the soil, indicative of localised strain decoupling. Between these decoupled zones, fully coupled zones were observed, characterised by uniform strain profiles. The coupled zones exhibited compressive stiffnesses in an intermediate strain range considering nonlinear soil characteristics, which was evaluated using a stiffness degradation model. Although the study focuses on cement-improved soils, the findings are applicable to DFOSS in layered and heterogeneous ground conditions in general.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4139 - 4162"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11440-026-02955-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of permeability, bacterial adsorption, and soil layering on entire MICP grouting process","authors":"Guoliang Ma,&nbsp;Zhen-Yu Yin,&nbsp;Zhichao Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02936-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02936-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The treatment of soils using the Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) method involves intricate hydraulic, biological, and chemical processes. Due to constraints related to time, equipment, and cost, it is challenging to fully explore the grouting process solely through experimental methods. Therefore, in this work, we aim to elucidate the entire MICP grouting process using a multiphysics coupling model that captures fluid flow, transport of bacteria and chemicals, adsorption, desorption and straining of bacteria, reaction of chemicals, as well as variations in porosity and permeability. A two-phase strategy with controlled injection solution volumes was used, and our discussion primarily focused on the impacts of key soil properties, such as permeability, bacterial adsorption, and layering, on the MICP grouting process. The results highlighted the critical role of bacterial distribution in determining the final distribution of precipitates. Additionally, from an engineering application perspective, these factors affect both the efficiency of raw material utilization and the uniformity of soil stabilization. Specifically, permeability and layering primarily induced seepage-related waste, while the bacterial attachment coefficient contributed to conversion-related waste. This study provides a fundamental understanding of MICP grouting processes in both homogeneous and layered soils, which will be helpful for designing effective MICP grouting strategies in engineering applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4205 - 4227"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11440-026-02936-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An experimental and numerical study on the influence of inherent and induced anisotropy of a fine-grained soil","authors":"Merita Tafili,&nbsp;Sabine Gehring,&nbsp;Lukas Knittel,&nbsp;Torsten Wichtmann,&nbsp;Hans H. Stutz","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02913-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02913-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the inherent and induced anisotropy of reconstituted kaolin samples through a series of triaxial tests in both extension and compression under various preloading conditions. Triaxial specimens were extracted from pre-consolidated cylinders either in the vertical or horizontal direction to assess anisotropic behaviour. Additionally, different preshearing steps were applied to examine their influence on inherent anisotropy. Numerical simulations using the modified Cam Clay model and the anisotropic visco-hypoplastic model failed to capture the effects of inherent anisotropy. To address this limitation, the latter model was extended by incorporating a cross-isotropic elastic stiffness formulation. By increasing the number of parameters and model complexity, this study systematically evaluates which parameters and mathematical formulations are essential for accurately describing the stiffness anisotropy of reconstituted fine-grained soils.\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"1923 - 1949"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11440-025-02913-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of non-plastic fines on cyclic behavior of Bushehr calcareous sand with presence of initial static shear stress","authors":"Elham Ghanbari Alamouti,&nbsp;Reza Ziaie Moayed,&nbsp;Seyyed Abolhasan Naeini","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02865-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02865-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The cyclic behavior of calcareous sands containing non-plastic fines is a critical issue in coastal regions vulnerable to seismic loading. This study examines the effect of non-plastic silt on the liquefaction resistance of calcareous sand obtained from Bushehr Port, located on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. A total of 30 undrained cyclic triaxial tests were performed on sand–silt mixtures with five fines contents (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%) under isotropic (<span>(alpha)</span> = 0) and anisotropic (<span>(alpha)</span> = 0.1) consolidation conditions. The results reveal that liquefaction resistance generally decreases with increasing silt content, except for a marked increase at 10% fines. At low silt contents (0 and 10%), where particle breakage exceeded 3%, the 10% mixture exhibited lower breakage and a stronger microstructural arrangement, resulting in greater dilative behavior and higher resistance than clean sand. At higher fines contents (20–40%), where particle breakage fell below 3%, the response was controlled mainly by microstructure, and increasing fines led to more contractive behavior and reduced resistance. The application of initial static shear stress enhanced the cyclic resistance of clean sand and mixtures with 10–20% fines, had negligible effect at 30%, and reduced resistance at 40% fines due to the loose silty skeleton. Furthermore, a soil-specific correlation was established between the residual excess pore pressure ratio and the normalized number of loading cycles, calibrated separately for clean and silty calcareous sands under isotropic and anisotropic consolidations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 5","pages":"2873 - 2899"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148292248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dilatancy behavior of marine coral sand–fines mixture in the South China Sea: critical thresholds and particle breakage effects","authors":"Xue Li,&nbsp;Xiaoyue Li,&nbsp;Jiyun Nan,&nbsp;Taishan Lu","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02950-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02950-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Exactly understanding the dilatancy of marine coral sand containing fines is critical for ensuring the safety of ocean infrastructures. This paper presents key findings coupled with an exhaustive discussion and elaboration through experimentally investigating dilatancy of marine coral sand. Test results indicate that both the modified Cam-clay model and Rowe’s dilatancy equation have limitations in accurately describing the dilatancy behavior of clean coral sand and its mixtures. The fines content and its corresponding threshold can determine the critical void ratio, thereby influencing dilatant or contractive behavior. Relationship between dilatancy ratio and equivalent void ratio (<span>(e^{*})</span>) suggests that using the variation in <span>(e^{*})</span> at phase-transition state to describe dilatancy is practical. Besides, a logarithmic correlation is observed between dilatancy ratio and stress ratio at peak state. Nevertheless, dilatancy ratio shows a negative linear relation with stress ratio at critical state. For the above-mentioned descriptions, a semi-empirical dilatancy equation accounting for particle breakage in marine coral sand was proposed and found to be reasonable after verification with previous test results.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"4079 - 4099"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of brittleness evolution of hot dry rock during cyclic thermal treatment","authors":"Yi Xue,&nbsp;Wei Wu","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02947-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02947-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Geothermal energy extraction from hot dry rock is often hindered by its inherently low permeability and the technical challenges involved in creating and sustaining fracture networks. Liquid nitrogen fracturing has emerged as a promising technique to overcome these challenges; however, the evolution of rock brittleness during cyclic thermal treatment remains poorly understood. This study introduces a new brittleness index to quantify the progressive changes in rock brittleness during the cyclic treatment. The brittleness index is derived from a linear correlation between fracture surface area and energy release rate, identified through a series of three-point bending tests on notched semi-circular samples. Compared to existing brittleness indices, the brittleness index exhibits a sharp increase during the initial cycles, followed by a gradual increase as the number of cycles continues to rise. The brittleness evolution aligns well with physical observations, such as mass loss, P-wave velocity reduction, and fracture surface evolution. Acoustic emission monitoring further enables the differentiation of the brittleness index into tensile-dominated and shear-dominated brittleness indices, providing valuable insights into the competition between tensile and shear cracking during the cyclic treatment. The applicability of the brittleness index to geothermal energy extraction is demonstrated by considering hot dry rock subjected to liquid nitrogen fracturing at varying depths. Our analysis reveals that liquid nitrogen fracturing substantially enhances rock brittleness, particularly in deeper rock with higher temperature. These findings suggest that the brittleness index can serve as a valuable tool for optimizing geothermal energy extraction by improving fracture network development while addressing key challenges associated with geothermal reservoirs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 8","pages":"4421 - 4431"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of water level on seismic behavior of caisson quay walls with fiber-reinforced calcareous sand backfill","authors":"Jie Tan,&nbsp;Xueyu Geng,&nbsp;Feifan Ren,&nbsp;Qiangqiang Huang,&nbsp;Chao Shen","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02823-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02823-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Caisson quay walls with calcareous sand backfill (CQW-CSB), as the main form of gravity marine structures, are prone to large deformation or even instability during earthquakes. Fiber reinforcement is an effective measure to greatly enhance the seismic performance of CQW-CSBs. However, its seismic behavior under conditions of large water level fluctuations caused by dynamic hydrology such as tidal effects and extreme precipitation has not been systematically studied. In this study, a series of shaking table tests were carried out to investigate the influence of water level changes on the seismic performance of caisson quay wall with fiber-reinforced calcareous sand backfill (CQW-FRCSB). The test results show that the acceleration amplification factor, horizontal dynamic soil pressure, and excess pore water pressure gradually increase with increasing water level, indicating that high water level has an adverse effect on the seismic stability of CQW-FRCSBs. In addition, regardless of the water level, fiber reinforcement can effectively limit the excess pore water pressure below the liquefaction threshold even under strong seismic excitation, thereby preventing large deformations caused by liquefaction. Moreover, increasing the water level exacerbates the horizontal displacement, ground settlement, and surface cracks propagation of quay walls. At an input acceleration of 0.6 g, a rise in water level induces significant horizontal displacement and settlement that is at least 476% and 280% greater than that of a structure backfilled with dry soil. Overall, the seismic design of CQW-CSB should carefully consider water level changes, and fiber reinforcement is an effective technology to improve its seismic performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 3","pages":"1773 - 1792"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental and numerical investigation of the mechanical behavior of lime-treated silty clay under various loading and temperature conditions","authors":"Sohail Akhtar,&nbsp;Biao Li","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02938-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02938-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lime-stabilized soil is widely used in slopes, foundations, and roadway construction, necessitating an evaluation of its strength characteristics under varying temperature conditions. This study investigates the tensile, compressive, and shear strengths of natural and lime-treated marine soils from a northern Canadian community. Experimental tests include the double punch tensile strength test (DPT), unconfined compressive strength test (UCS), and temperature-controlled consolidated undrained triaxial test. The triaxial tests were conducted at varied loading rates and temperatures ranging from 25 to −13.5 °C, while tests of DPT and UCS were conducted at room temperature. Results indicate that lime treatment alters the soil's ductile behavior and strain hardening response into brittle behavior. A nonlinear relationship between strength parameters and temperature in the studied soil is obtained based on the temperature-controlled triaxial test results. Finite element modeling, validated against laboratory data, effectively captures strain hardening and strain softening behaviors. The FEM analysis with the hyperbolic Drucker–Prager model accurately represents frozen soil deformation under compressive, tensile, and shear loading, while the damage XFEM model successfully simulates damage initiation and crack propagation in uniaxial compressive and indirect tensile tests. These models reliably replicate failure patterns, enhancing the predictive capability for soil behavior in cold environments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"3803 - 3824"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deformation behaviors and potential instability criterion of granite residual soil: a perspective of cyclic mean effective stress under constant deviatoric stress path","authors":"Huanwen Lin,&nbsp;Lingwei Kong,&nbsp;Zhiao Gao,&nbsp;Zhaowei Shang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02933-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02933-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Global climate change increases extreme rainfall events, significantly elevating the frequency of geological hazards in granite residual soil (GRS) regions. The stress path of slope soils under extreme rainfall conditions differs from conventional triaxial scenarios, characterized by nearly constant deviatoric stress (CQ) and continuously varying mean effective stress (<span>(p^{prime })</span>). To investigate the instability and deformation behaviors of GRS under cyclic variations in <span>(p^{prime })</span> along the CQ path, consolidated drained (CD) tests, constant shear drained (CSD) tests, <span>(p^{prime })</span> cyclic tests along the CQ path and stepped stress level tests along the CQ path were conducted. The test results demonstrate that GRS under the CSD path exhibits instability characterized by dilative volumetric behavior and a rapid increase in axial strain. <span>(p^{prime })</span> cyclic tests along the CQ path reveal the existence of a potential instability stress ratio (<span>(eta_{{I_{p} }})</span>) less than instability stress ratio (<span>(eta_{IS})</span>), at which specimens undergo instability under multiple <span>(p^{prime })</span> cycles. Instability-type specimens demonstrate progressive accumulation of both deviatoric strain and volumetric strain with increasing cycle numbers, while exhibiting delayed deformation. Specifically, dilation occurs when <span>(p^{prime })</span> increases. In contrast, stability-type specimens primarily undergo elastic deformation. Stepped stress level test results indicate that abrupt changes in strain rate drive this delayed deformation pattern, leading to a corresponding delay in the <span>(eta_{IS})</span> values determined by current instability criteria. Deformation behaviors under cyclic loading show that the stability of GRS is critically dependent on the evolution of plastic volumetric strain increment (<span>(Delta varepsilon_{v}^{p})</span>). Consequently, a methodology utilizing the strain increment ratio (<span>(Delta varepsilon_{v} /Delta varepsilon_{q})</span>)—stress ratio (<span>(eta)</span>) curve from CSD tests is proposed to determine <span>(eta_{{I_{p} }})</span>. The results demonstrate that this method provides accurate predictions of instability under cyclic loading. The research findings provide critical references for geological hazard prevention and mitigation in GRS regions under extreme rainfall conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 6","pages":"3457 - 3472"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148366017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stiffness and cyclic responses of kaolin clay at a wide range of strains: the role of structure","authors":"Yuanqiang Cai,&nbsp;Ruotao Xiao,&nbsp;Qi Sun,&nbsp;Quanyang Dong","doi":"10.1007/s11440-026-02928-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-026-02928-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper presents a fundamental study to investigate the stiffness parameters of kaolin clay with two controlled structures at a wide range of strains through resonant column and cyclic triaxial tests. Meanwhile, the cyclic responses of the two structural samples under three cyclic loading modes are also studied. Test results indicate that the dispersed sample exhibits a more robust structure and a higher maximum shear modulus, whereas the flocculated sample displays a weaker structure and is more sensitive to variations in confining pressure. Soil structure plays a more important role in the stiffness properties of small to intermediate strain (i.e., 10^–5–10^–2) than large strain (i.e., &gt; 10^–2). The normalized shear modulus and damping ratio of the two structural samples are identical and independent of plasticity index. Under the same cyclic stress amplitude, the flocculated samples produce more significant pore water pressure and exhibit greater contraction in all three series of cyclic triaxial tests. The generated axial strain of the flocculated sample approaches failure gradually, whereas it develops rapidly in the dispersed sample as it approaches failure. With more structure adjustment than the dispersed sample in the staged drained cyclic tests, the flocculated sample can withstand cyclic loading with a larger stress amplitude.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 7","pages":"3909 - 3926"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148386069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}