Transportation Geotechnics最新文献

{"title":"Mechanistic-empirical method of pavement design extending unsaturated soil mechanics","authors":"Kenneth O. Omenogor ,&nbsp;Won Taek Oh ,&nbsp;Sai K. Vanapalli","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pavement system that typically constitutes of different soil and material layers is located within the vadose zone that is above the groundwater table, which is in an unsaturated condition. Due to this reason, suction is a crucial stress state variable for interpreting the behavior of pavements in the vadose zone. The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) serves as a comprehensive design tool that accounts for both the resilient response and environmental influences on pavement material properties. In this study, a series of California Bearing Ratio (<em>CBR</em>) tests were conducted on both saturated and unsaturated compacted soils that are commonly used as pavement subgrade materials in Toronto, Ontario. A modified <em>CBR</em> apparatus was utilized, incorporating orifices drilled into the <em>CBR</em> mold to monitor matric suction, <em>ψ</em> and water content using MPS-6 (or TEROS-21) and EC-5 sensors, respectively. The measured <em>CBR</em> and <em>ψ</em> values along with resilient moduli were then used to develop correlations to estimate resilient modulus, <em>M_R</em> of compacted soils required for Level 2 design in the MEPDG. The modified <em>CBR</em> testing procedures used in this study are anticipated to be applicable to other soils for estimating <em>M_R</em>, aiding in the design of pavement subgrade materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An analytical solution for evaluating the progressive bending failure of columns in soft ground under embankment loading","authors":"Xiaoxuan Yu ,&nbsp;Gaolin Xie ,&nbsp;Gang Zheng ,&nbsp;Haizuo Zhou ,&nbsp;Jinshan Wang ,&nbsp;Fengwei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rigid columns are commonly employed in soft clay embankment construction due to their high shear and bending capacities. However, conventional design methods often oversimplify the interaction between the columns and the surrounding soil by assuming uniform shear failure across all columns. This simplification can result in overestimations of embankment stability and may fail to account for potential unforeseen failures. In response to this limitation, the present study introduces a novel analytical framework, validated through centrifuge testing, to systematically assess the stability of soft ground reinforced with columns. Unlike conventional approaches, the methodology accounts for both bending failure mechanisms and progressive failure behavior during rapid embankment construction. It explicitly incorporates column-soil interaction, providing a more realistic stability assessment. Analytical expressions derived in the study quantify lateral forces exerted on the columns, offering insight into failure propagation from the embankment toe to the center. By integrating critical factors such as geometric parameters and soil properties, the methodology captures the variations in maximum bending moments, thus enhancing the predictive accuracy. This analysis of column progressive behavior enhances the understanding of embankment stability and provides a solid foundation for geotechnical design decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101563"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143868796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing 3D stability of unsaturated embankments/slopes considering water level fluctuations using the minimum potential energy method","authors":"Jiaping Sun ,&nbsp;Pingting Dong ,&nbsp;Tiantang Yu ,&nbsp;Weihua Fang ,&nbsp;Zhiwei Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water level fluctuations play a crucial role in the stability of unsaturated embankments as they can significantly affect matric suction. This study introduces a novel analytical method based on the minimum potential energy approach to account for these fluctuations in the embankment stability. The critical slip surface (CSS) is modeled as an ellipsoid governed by six parameters, with its determination achieved by minimizing potential energy of the sliding mass, optimized using the sparrow search algorithm (SSA). The method’s validity and accuracy are demonstrated through three case studies that explore the effects of various parameters, including water level, air-entry value ratio, pore size distribution ratio, and shear strength parameters, on stability and CSS location of embankments. The findings reveal that the safety factor (SF) obtained by the proposed method closely align with reference solutions, and highlight that the influence of air-entry value, pore size distribution, and shear strength parameters of foundation on embankment stability is modulated by water level changes. Notably, the failure extent of the embankment broadens with an increasing effective internal friction angle and diminishes with a decrease in pore size distribution ratio.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101556"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143868674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Permanent strain behavior of basalt fiber–reinforced controlled low-strength material under repeated loading","authors":"Dong Geon Son ,&nbsp;Jong-Sub Lee ,&nbsp;Seungjun Kim ,&nbsp;Yong-Hoon Byun","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Controlled low-strength material (CLSM) is a flowable, self-leveling backfill material used as an alternative to compacted soil for backfilling trenches, retaining walls, underground cavities, and in pavement construction. This study aims to investigate the permanent deformation of CLSM reinforced with basalt fibers. Basalt fibers with lengths of 6 and 24 mm are incorporated into CLSM mixtures to assess their impact on flowability, setting times, and mechanical properties. Mechanical testing indicates that longer fibers improve tensile strength through a bridging effect. Repeated load triaxial tests are conducted to evaluate the permanent strain behavior under repeated loading. The results show that permanent strain increases with the deviator stress and number of loading cycles. A regression model accounting for the number of loading cycles and deviator stress provides accurate permanent-strain predictions, and the permanent strain behaviors are classified based on the refined shakedown theory. Therefore, the basalt-fiber-reinforced CLSM suggested in this study may be suitable for pavement base material due to its relatively low permanent strain under typical stress conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101570"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance Evaluation of Disconnected Piled raft foundation Incorporated with Polystyrene Cushion and Hybrid Geogrid-Geotextile Base","authors":"Mohd Aaqib,&nbsp;Mohd Yousuf Shah","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Foundation systems are critical to ensure structural stability, particularly in challenging geotechnical conditions. This study introduces a disconnected piled raft (DPR) foundation system incorporating a polystyrene cushion platform reinforced with geogrid and geotextile layers to enhance load distribution, minimize differential settlement, and improve overall performance. The proposed DPR system addresses the limitations of conventional piled raft foundations by reducing the rigidity at the raft-pile interface and promoting more uniform load transfer. The research methodology involved numerical modelling using PLAXIS-3D and laboratory experiments to evaluate the performance of the DPR system. Material properties of the polystyrene cushion, geogrid, and geotextile were characterized, and boundary conditions were defined to simulate realistic loading scenarios. Comparative analysis with traditional vertical piled raft (VPR) and battered piled raft (BPR) systems was conducted under varying load conditions. Results demonstrated that the DPR system supported a maximum load of 18.2 kN with a settlement of 10 mm, surpassing the performance of connected systems. The settlement efficiency ratio of approximately 32% was significantly higher than the (10-17) % efficiency observed in conventional systems. Additionally, the DPR system exhibited optimized stiffness, achieving equivalent stiffness at 1 kN compared to 17 kN for connected systems, and reduced unit skin friction to -2 kPa, ensuring effective load diffusion. The study concludes that the DPR foundation system offers an innovative solution for modern foundation engineering, providing superior load-bearing capacity, enhanced settlement control, and improved structural efficiency through the integration of advanced geosynthetic materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101565"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143864878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic characteristics and impact load properties of high-speed railway piers under debris flow impact","authors":"Lizhong Jiang ,&nbsp;Wenjie Xiao ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Lai ,&nbsp;Ben Mou","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Debris flows, comprising slurry and boulders, pose significant threats to high-speed railway bridges in debris flow-prone regions due to their rapid and unsteady nature. However, research on the dynamic characteristics of high-speed railway bridges under the impact of debris flows remains limited. This study develops a refined numerical model to analyze the impact of debris flow slurry and boulders on high-speed railway piers, utilizing the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Finite Element Method (FEM) coupling method. The model's validity is confirmed by comparing it to experimental data from existing research. The research applies the validated model to examine the dynamic response characteristics of high-speed railway piers of varying heights when subjected to impacts from slurry and boulders. In addition, it proposes simplified load models for these impacts, incorporating corrections to current code formulas. The results indicated that piers of specific types experience varying levels of damage from boulder impacts, with the existing code formulas underestimating peak impact forces. For slurry impacts, the code formulas underestimate peak impact forces, with actual values under low flow depths reaching up to twice the value predicted by the formulas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101562"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strength deterioration and predictive modeling of coarse-grained soil under penetrating erosion effects","authors":"Yunhao Chen ,&nbsp;Ling Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhongshu Liu ,&nbsp;Yongwei Li ,&nbsp;Jingpeng Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This investigation aims to explore the strength deterioration characteristics of coarse-grained soils (CGSs) under penetrating erosion. Unconsolidated undrained (UU) triaxial tests were conducted on untreated specimens and those subjected to four amplitudes of penetrating erosion force (<em>p</em>₀), to examine the impact of penetrating erosion on the shear performance of CGSs with varying mass ratios of mudstone fines (<em>η</em>). Furthermore, a strength prediction model, <em>K</em>_M-C(<em>η</em>, <em>p</em>₀), was developed based on the Mohr-Coulomb (M−C) strength criterion, incorporating both <em>η</em> and <em>p</em>₀ as influencing factors. The results indicate that untreated specimens predominantly exhibit bulging deformation upon failure, whereas treated specimens can be divided into distinct bulging and non-bulging zones, with significant transverse cracks emerging in the transition region between these zones. Moreover, treated CGS specimens demonstrate notable strain-softening behavior, as the deviator stress peak [(<em>σ</em>₁–<em>σ</em>₃)_max] decreases linearly with increasing penetrating erosion force <em>p</em>₀ under the same confining pressure (<em>σ</em>₃). Furthermore, minor variations in confining pressure have little effect on the strength weakening induced by penetrating erosion, and at low confining pressures, both untreated and treated specimens conform to the M−C failure criterion. Additionally, there exists a critical fine content threshold <em>η</em>_critical; when the fine content is below this threshold, increasing it enhances the stability of the CGS skeleton and its resistance to seepage erosion. Conversely, when the fines content exceeds <em>η</em>_critical, the filling effect of the fines weakens the stability of the soil skeleton, thereby reducing its resistance to penetrating erosion. In this investigation, <em>η</em>_critical is determined to be 9.15%. Lastly, the predictive model developed in this study accurately captures the influence of <em>η</em> and <em>p</em>₀ on the strength of CGSs, with the relative error between the measured and predicted strength values ranging from 1.1% to 14.9%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101559"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydromechanical behavior of unsaturated sandy soils with different particle shapes under loading–unloading paths: Numerical simulation and experimental validation","authors":"Zahra Mousavi,&nbsp;Milad Jabbarzadeh,&nbsp;Fardin Jafarzadeh,&nbsp;Hamed Sadeghi","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the simultaneous influence of particle shape and initial suction on the hydromechanical behavior of unsaturated sandy soils. Anisotropic loading–unloading tests at constant water content conditions were conducted on three sands with distinct shapes (Firoozkooh – most angular, Babolsar – Subangular, and Mesr – roundest) using a direct shear apparatus. Particle shapes were quantified in terms of sphericity, roundness, and regularity using the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests. In addition, a coupled hydromechanical model based on elasto-viscoplasticity was developed and validated against the experimental results first. The model was then employed to conduct a parametric study (compressibility, pore water pressure, and permeability) with an emphasis on the role of particle morphology and shape. The findings revealed rounder particles (higher regularity) experienced higher volumetric strain (<span><math><mrow><msub><mi>ε</mi><mi>v</mi></msub></mrow></math></span>) under lower suction but less <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>ε</mi><mi>v</mi></msub></mrow></math></span> with increasing suction compared to angular sands. Moreover, the rate of permeability reduction during loading in Mesr sand was 1.5 times and 2.4 times higher than that of Babolsar and Firoozkooh sands at near-saturation condition. However, this amount decreased with increasing suction. Pore water pressure (PWP) generation was highest in the most angular sand due to its retention characteristics. The relationship between void ratio and PWP was independent of loading cycles and exhibited a linear dependence. Particle shape significantly impacted this relationship, with rounder sands showing a higher rate of void ratio change per unit change in PWP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101560"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geotechnical characteristics of clayey soil stabilized with fly ash and marble dust","authors":"Abdülhakim Zeybek ,&nbsp;Muhammed Tanyıldızı ,&nbsp;İsmail Tosun ,&nbsp;Ali Fırat Cabalar","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the separate and combined impacts of Class-F fly ash (FA) and marble dust (MD) on the geotechnical properties and resilient modulus <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><msub><mi>M</mi><mi>R</mi></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow></math></span> of clayey soil. An intensive series of laboratory tests, including plasticity, swelling-shrinkage, compaction, unconfined compressive strength (<span><math><mrow><mi>UCS</mi></mrow></math></span>), shear strength, California Bearing Ratio (<span><math><mrow><mi>CBR</mi></mrow></math></span>), cyclic triaxial, and microstructural analyses, were conducted on soil specimens containing FA and MD at different percentages varying from 0 % to 12 %. The results showed that FA and MD additions significantly reduced the plasticity, free swell, and linear shrinkage potential of the soil, whilst <span><math><mrow><mi>UCS</mi></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mi>CBR</mi></mrow></math></span> values increased up to a threshold value of 6 % to 9 % and then declined. The incorporation of FA, MD, and their combination (FA + MD) enhanced the soil’s <span><math><mrow><mi>CBR</mi></mrow></math></span> by approximately 45.1 %, 55.9 %, and 85.1 %, respectively. Similarly, the <span><math><mrow><mi>UCS</mi></mrow></math></span> of the soil cured for 7 days improved by 14.1 %, 44.0 %, and 72.5 %, respectively. The cyclic triaxial tests yielded the highest <span><math><msub><mi>M</mi><mi>R</mi></msub></math></span> values with FA alone, leading to a 51.1 % increase. When FA and MD were used together, <span><math><msub><mi>M</mi><mi>R</mi></msub></math></span> values increased by 31.6 %, which was relatively higher than the 28.1 % increase observed with the use of MD alone. Furthermore, statistical modeling to predict the <span><math><msub><mi>M</mi><mi>R</mi></msub></math></span> values was proposed, evaluated comparatively with already available applications, and hereby confirmed its superiority over traditional models to save time for future researchers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101558"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stabilization of expansive road subgrades with waste paper sludge: Resilient modulus, ANN and modeling approach","authors":"Muhammed Tanyıldızı ,&nbsp;İslam Gökalp","doi":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trgeo.2025.101552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stabilization of expansive subgrades is a crucial issue for transportation geotechnics in the development of sustainable approaches in road construction. This study was the first ever to investigate the effect of waste paper sludge (WPS) on the resilient modulus (M_r) parameters of three different expansive subgrades with different shrink/swell and bearing capacities. Repeated load tests were performed on clean soils and soils with different ratios of WPS to determine the change in the M_r values with WPS. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses were performed on soil specimens to reveal the effectiveness of WPS at the microstructure level. Additionally, different artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed to estimate the M_r values of the expansive road subgrades stabilized with WPS. Furthermore, a numerical model was created to simulate the behavior of a typical road platform constructed with WPS-stabilized subgrade soil using the Plaxis 2D finite element analysis program. The experimental results indicated that the addition of WPS up to 9% resulted in a significant increase in the M_r values of subgrade soils. Microstructural analyses of the samples giving the highest hardness performance revealed that the dispersed and porous structure of pure soils transformed into a denser, less porous and flocculated structure after WPS stabilization. The developed ANN models showed better performance compared to multiple regression (MR) with higher R² values ​​and lower error parameters, which was confirmed by statistical parameters. Plaxis 2D analysis results showed a more rigid road structure formation with less deformation compared to clean soils through WPS stabilization. The findings of this research are expected to offer an understanding of considering the stabilization of expansive subgrades with WPS, thereby promoting sustainable highway construction and approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56013,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Geotechnics","volume":"52 ","pages":"Article 101552"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}