Acta Geotechnica最新文献

{"title":"From hydraulic hysteresis to shear strength: A hydraulic history-dependent intergranular stress model for unsaturated soils","authors":"Xiaohui Gan,&nbsp;Pingping Sun,&nbsp;Pan Chen,&nbsp;Maosheng Zhang,&nbsp;Jun Jia,&nbsp;Haoran Fan","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02919-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02919-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The shear strength of unsaturated soils is a key factor in evaluating slope stability; however, hydraulic hysteresis induced by varying rainfall infiltration conditions remains a major challenge for accurate strength prediction. To address this issue, a hydraulic history-dependent intergranular stress model is developed. The proposed framework integrates a state-dependent soil–water retention model that effectively characterizes both capillary hysteresis and air entrapment effects, enabling precise tracking of the hydraulic paths with a minimal number of fitting parameters. The model is validated through a series of direct shear tests on compacted loess samples subjected to controlled drying and wetting processes. The results reveal distinct strength discrepancies between paths: Specimens along drying paths consistently exhibit higher peak shear strength than those along wetting paths at equivalent water contents, with a maximum difference of approximately 21 kPa. This strength variation arises from hysteresis-induced differences in matric suction and is closely associated with the magnitude of the soil–water retention hysteresis loop, reflecting hydraulic history and physicochemical interactions among soil phases. Comparative analysis under both effective stress and dual stress frameworks demonstrate that the proposed model achieves superior predictive accuracy, with <i>R</i>² values exceeding 0.97 across all hydraulic paths. By accounting for both instantaneous hydraulic states and historical moisture variations, the model provides a robust and reliable framework for evaluating the shear strength behavior of unsaturated soils under complex hydraulic conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 3","pages":"1629 - 1648"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147560324","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":"A unified Cosserat-based anisotropy evolution FEM model and its application to the analysis of the San Francisco Bay subaqueous slope failure","authors":"Wencheng Wei,&nbsp;Hongxiang Tang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02921-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02921-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates coupled effects of strength anisotropy and strain softening in natural saturated clays on undrained slope stability, together with the associated numerical challenges. Traditional finite element methods suffer mesh dependency from strain softening, requiring regularization techniques like the Cosserat continuum. However, for large-scale clay analyses, a systematic method to determine the internal length scale parameter (<i>l</i>_c) is lacking. Moreover, the lack of comparative studies and guidance on parameter selection for different anisotropic strength methods limits engineering applications. To address these issues, this study systematically compares three methods: the Casagrande approach, the microstructure tensor-based Pietruszczak–Mroz (PM) method, and a proposed Modified PM method. Their respective recommended test types are conventional triaxial, uniaxial, and plane strain compression. A unified anisotropic evolution equation is formulated by combining these methods with an exponential strain softening law and implemented in a Tresca-inscribed Mises model within the Cosserat continuum framework. A practical approach to determine <i>l</i>_c in large-scale clay conditions is also proposed. Numerical results show that when the deposition angle <i>α</i> = 0°, the normalized stability number <i>N</i>_s ranks as Casagrande &gt; Modified PM &gt; PM for <i>k</i> &lt; 1.0, and reverses for<i> k</i> &gt; 1.0. For typical cases (<i>α</i> = 0° and k ≤ 1.0), <i>N</i>_s decreases from isotropy to inherent anisotropy, evolving anisotropy, and inherent anisotropy with strain softening, with greater differences at gentler slopes. In the San Francisco Bay case, the proposed method, informed by test data and incorporating anisotropy and strain softening, yielded <i>F</i>_s = 1.06–1.07, which is closer to the actual failure condition (<i>F</i>_s ≤ 1.0) than results reported in previous studies, confirming the model’s engineering applicability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"1971 - 1992"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727485","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":"Analytical determination of the pressure exerted by a swelling clay soil on a tunnel","authors":"Paolo Foraboschi","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02894-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02894-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper stems from professional projects carried out by the author, which involved the repair and structural strengthening of several tunnels affected by progressive failure mechanisms. The focus is on a tunnel of the Apulian Aqueduct (Italy), one of the greatest public works ever constructed by humanity. The tunnel crosses a swelling clay that expanded against the brickwork lining and led a 31-m-long segment of the tunnel on the verge of collapse. The damage consisted of the disintegration of the inverted arch and the delamination of a 150-mm-thick masonry layer from the base of the two abutments to the crown of the upper arch. The author determined the soil pressures acting on the tunnel lining that were required to produce the observed damage. Solving this inverse problem yielded the pressures induced by swelling, an advance in knowledge given that this phenomenon is difficult to model and still debated. The author also solved the same inverse problem for the adjacent segments of tunnel, which are made of stonework and have never suffered from any damage. The pressure level necessary to damage these segments was found to be 11% higher than that for the brickwork segment. Thus, the asymptotic value of the swelling pressures at infinite time is less than 11% higher than the pressures that acted on the brickwork segment. This finding represents another advance in knowledge. For the first time, the swelling pressure on a tunnel and its upper bound have been measured in-situ on an actual structure.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"2023 - 2047"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727364","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":"Numerical simulation of scale effects in shallow soil anchors interacting with shear bands","authors":"Dawei Xue,&nbsp;Giuseppe Buscarnera","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02880-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02880-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The interaction between geotechnical structures and plastic shear zones influences the performance of these systems, particularly in case of nonstandard installations with miniaturized components. This paper examines this problem numerically with an implicit gradient-enhanced plasticity model able to constrain the shear band thickness dictated by the soil microstructure. The model, therefore, enables the quantification of scale effects regulated by differences between system dimensions and interacting shear zone geometry. The effectiveness of the model is demonstrated by examining the pullout capacity scaling of miniaturized shallow plate anchors. The numerical simulations, validated by 1 g experiments, show that decreasing model size leads to an increase in pullout capacity across all levels of anchor uplift, along with thickening and shortening of the corresponding shear bands. Such effects are amplified by anchor burial depth and are also observed in centrifuge tests and corresponding simulations, provided that the model setup involves variations in the relative dimensions between particles and the tested geostructure. Finally, corrective factors are introduced based on the shear band thickness to anchor size ratio, thus facilitating the quantification of the  pullout capacity for anchors with nonstandard geometry and miniaturized components, for which such scale effects are expected to be more prominent.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"1865 - 1881"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11440-025-02880-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727363","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":"Emerging trends in coefficient of consolidation determination: a statistical meta-analysis and nonparametric agreement assessment","authors":"Bartłomiej Szczepan Olek","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02899-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02899-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of different methods for determining the coefficient of consolidation (<i>c</i>_<i>v</i>), including the approach based on modelling the entire consolidation curve. The study was based on more than 420 datasets of paired <i>c</i>_<i>v</i> values from conducted laboratory experiments and archival research, covering seven methods. The primary objective was to assess the agreement of individual methods with computational approach and to identify any systematic differences. The analysis employed classical scatterplots, analysis of <i>c</i>_<i>v</i> ratios, and the difference approach with logarithmic transformation, including the determination of agreement limits using nonparametric and regression-based methods. The results showed that the Casagrande method (CM) exhibited the best agreement with model simulation (SYM) in terms of bias and slope of the limits of agreement, whereas the other methods systematically produced higher <i>c</i>_<i>v</i>. Based on the meta-analysis, a consistent trend of decreasing <i>c</i>_<i>v</i> values was observed in the order: TM &gt; IPM &gt; SRS1 &gt; ES &gt; HYP &gt; CM &gt; SYM. The obtained results emphasise the importance of using a logarithmic transformation and a nonparametric approach in assessing the compatibility of methods, especially in the context of heteroscedastic data.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"2497 - 2526"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11440-025-02899-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727362","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":"Modelling the mechanical behaviour of natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments using a transfer learning neural network","authors":"Tao Hu,&nbsp;Huaning Wang,&nbsp;Fei Song,&nbsp;Mingjing Jiang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02912-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02912-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Accurately understanding the mechanical properties of natural gas hydrate-bearing sediment (GHBS) is critical for the safe exploitation of marine natural gas hydrate. However, directly linking the observed physical properties of GHBS to their mechanical behaviour remains a significant challenge. Theoretical hydrate-modified constitutive models are limited by their complexity in parameterisation and incomplete representation of underlying patterns, while data-driven models face the challenge of small-sample datasets from GHBS mechanical experiments. This study integrates the knowledge of a theoretical hydrate-modified constitutive model and experimental data, to develop a data-driven model for representing the mechanical behaviour of GHBS using the transfer learning method. The performance of the proposed model is validated on a test set containing both representative coarse-grained GHBS and fine-grained GHBS sample data. The results indicate that the model can accurately predict the mechanical behaviour of a wide range of GHBS samples under different conditions, including strain hardening/softening and shear contraction/dilatation phenomena. Ablation experiments, conducted by simplifying the model structure or loss function, demonstrate that the transfer learning algorithm employed in this study significantly improves prediction accuracy compared to conventional deep learning networks. The generalisation capability of the proposed model is further validated through comparisons with triaxial test data on hydrate dissociation. Finally, comparisons with existing studies on GHBS mechanical behaviour indicate that the proposed model delivers low cost, broad applicability, and fast, accurate predictions, serving as a practical surrogate for laboratory testing across most GHBS types and laying the groundwork for data-driven constitutive models.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"2073 - 2097"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727306","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":"The pull-out mechanical properties of the interface between geogrid and calcareous sand considering temperature effects","authors":"Danda Shi,&nbsp;Haoyu Wang,&nbsp;Gary Fowmes,&nbsp;Zhiming Chao","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02780-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02780-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>High and low temperatures, stress loading and soil particle size significantly influence the interface interaction between calcareous sand and geosynthetics, which determines the safety and stability of reinforced calcareous sand engineering facility. In this paper, a series of pull-out tests were carried out on calcareous sand-geogrid interfaces (GRCS) with particle sizes of 0.25 mm – 1 mm (S1 sand), 1 mm – 2 mm (S2 sand) and 2 mm – 4 mm (S3 sand), and silica sand-geogrid interfaces (GRSS) with particle size of 1 mm – 2 mm (S4 sand) at temperatures of 0 °C – 80 °C. The effects of temperature on the mechanical properties of GRCS interfaces with different particle sizes were investigated. The experimental results show that with increasing temperature, the shear strength of the GRCS interface decrease. Moreover, the maximum shear strength of the GRCS interface occurs at 0 °C. Temperature has a significant effect on the relative breakage ratio <span>(B_{r})</span> of calcareous sand. Based on the experimental results, an intelligent constitutive model of the GRCS interface under pull-out load was established by considering the effects of temperature, particle size and other factors using deep learning technology.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 2","pages":"713 - 743"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561996","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":"Evaluation method of wellbore leakage of underground gas storage salt cavern by intensive injection and production","authors":"Tao He,&nbsp;Tongtao Wang,&nbsp;Kai Xie,&nbsp;Youqiang Liao,&nbsp;Dongzhou Xie,&nbsp;Chunhe Yang,&nbsp;J. J. K. Daemen","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02883-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02883-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The failure of wellbore sealing is a major cause of leakage in gas storage salt caverns, but preventing wellbore leakage over the long term is very challenging. The presence of an annular transport channel in the wellbore does not necessarily result in large-scale leakage; it also requires assessment based on conditions such as pressure state. The axial leakage pathways in the wellbore are mainly due to the absence of the cement sheath interface, while radial leakage pathways are mainly due to matrix micro-cracks, both of which are caused by cyclic loads from intense injection and extraction activities. Random injection and extraction operations result in variable load amplitudes and loading frequencies, making it difficult to calculate the fatigue damage of the cement sheath. In this paper, a nonuniform amplitude fatigue damage model was developed to calculate wellbore leakage pathways and the permeability characteristics of the cement sheath. Various cyclic load tests on cement with different amplitudes were conducted, and permeability was measured. The model was validated using data from acoustic emission, permeability, and irreversible deformation. The paper also established a wellbore leakage model considering cement sheath damage and interface voids, and performed leakage calculations under different injection and extraction amplitudes and cycles. The following conclusions were drawn: Cyclic loads can induce crack propagation in the cement sheath, and radial cracks can lead to interlayer leakage in the wellbore. The axial leakage pathways in the wellbore are formed by irreversible deformation that causes micro-annular spaces to connect. The width and circumferential span of these micro-annular spaces are the main factors affecting leakage flow. However, at higher casing pressures, leakage pathways may experience local closure, so leakage calculations need to account for changes in transport pathways.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"2049 - 2071"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727617","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":"Micro–macro investigation on the permeability reduction in surrounding rock of sandstone-type uranium deposit using microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation technology","authors":"Qingqing Jia,&nbsp;Guicheng He,&nbsp;Yongmei Li,&nbsp;Siqi Yang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02897-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02897-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sandstone-type uranium deposit (STUD) with upper and lower aquiclude is typically mined using in situ leaching (ISL). However, ISL becomes unfeasible when natural aquicludes are absent, leading to leachate migration and groundwater contamination. In this study, microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology was employed to construct an artificial aquiclude by reducing the permeability of surrounding sandstone. Simulated sandstone samples were prepared based on the geological characteristics of a STUD in Xinjiang, China, and a series of controlled injection experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of cementation solution concentration, injection flow rate, and number of injection rounds. The permeability evolution and calcium carbonate distribution were quantified. X-ray diffraction and computed tomography scanning were used to reveal the pore-scale changes. The results show that increasing cementation concentration and injection rounds significantly reduced permeability. A gradual increase in flow rate and concentration led to more uniform CaCO₃ distribution and minimized spatial variation in permeability. High cementation solution concentration increased the size of calcium carbonate crystals. Microstructural analysis confirmed reduced porosity and pore connectivity after MICP treatment. The effective permeability calculated using a ball-and-stick model aligned with the experimental data. This study demonstrates that MICP is a promising technique for artificial aquiclude formation in STUDs, providing both macroscale effectiveness and microstructural insight.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"2115 - 2131"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727464","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":"A coupled thermal damage–breakage constitutive model for cemented granular materials","authors":"Ziyang Zhou,&nbsp;Xianda Shen,&nbsp;Fengshou Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11440-025-02893-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11440-025-02893-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A coupled thermal damage–breakage constitutive model is proposed for the inelastic modeling of cemented granular materials (CGMs). A novel dissipation function and yield criteria are developed to incorporate the thermal effects within the framework of thermodynamics. The thermally induced grain crushing and cement disintegration are introduced through the thermal internal variables that characterize the inelasticity induced by the thermal treatment. A systematic discussion of the model is presented through parameters sensitivity analysis, followed by validation against experimental data. This model provides an effective coupled simulation framework in a conceptual and unified manner, with the ability to capture the thermally induced stiffness degradation and the post-yielding behavior of CGMs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49308,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geotechnica","volume":"21 4","pages":"1993 - 2008"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727463","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}