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The shear strength behavior of unsaturated soils is a complex phenomenon. The major factors that lead to the complex behavior are grain size, natural alteration in status of moisture and associated capillary potential. The need for research is felt to understand the various aspects associated with development of shear strength of unsaturated soils. The research is conducted to obtain the most economical and reliable design solutions. The magnitude of positive pore water pressure developed in saturated soil reduces the shear strength to a great extent. The tensile pore water pressure in the capillary meniscus developed around the soil grain contacts, on the contrary, enhances the factor of safety in the case of unsaturated soil mass. In this research, the shear strength of unsaturated soil is studied for a range of saturation based on the parametric study. The principle of effective stress has proven to be the basis for understanding the shear strength of saturated soil mass and it has provided an explanation for the geotechnical engineering problems. The thesis presents a study on the shear strength of the soil specimen using the direct shear apparatus. The previous research was mainly directed towards evaluation of shear strength under controlled soil suction, by modifying the apparatus. A simple technique is put forward in this research by making use of the conventional direct shear apparatus for testing the unsaturated soil. The suction stress was induced in the soil specimen and the shear strength was evaluated. The soil water characteristic curve has been used in the research to determine the tensile pore water pressure. Hypothesis based on parametric study has been put forward to present a technique to determine the unsaturated soil shear strength parameter in the thesis.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1972. / Offset from typescript.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1976.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-177). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

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Temperature changes occur in soils in a number of ways, e. g. landfill liners, around buried services and during sampling. An experimental programme was conducted to examine the effect of temperature (between 10 to 80 °C) on the volume change and shear behaviour of saturated clays. Testing included Liquid Limit (cone penetrometer), residual shear strength (modified Bromhead Ring Shear), laboratory vane shear ( at moisture contents between the Liquid and Plastic Limits) and oedometer tests. An extensive literature survey indicated that kaolinites and smectites would show extremes of thermal behaviour. To examine this two artificially pure clays were tested: English China Clay (a well crystallised kaolinite) and Wyoming Bentonite (a monovalent smectite). To supplement this four British soils were tested: Keuper Marl, Lower Lias Clay, London Clay and Oxford Clay. Full material data were obtained coupled with careful control of stress and thermal histories. It is concluded that two types of extreme thermal response exists: a thermomechanical and a thermo-physicochemical change exhibited by kaolinite and smectite respectively. The temperature sensitivity of clays relative to a particular parameter is positively related to its specific surface area. A quick and repeatable method to qualitatively assess this has been developed: the LUT method. Its advantages include that no temperature calibrations are needed and it has a relatively large operating temperature range, 10 to 80 °C having been successfully used. The consolidation pressure (in the oedometer) needed to change the nature of a soil's thermal response is negatively related to its specific surface area. This, it is postulated, occurs at the same 'critical' contact stress for all clays, i. e. the interparticle threshold stress at which a thermo-physicochemical response changes to a thermo-mechanical one. This threshold stress occurs at a anisotropic consolidation pressure of 60 kPa for a well crystallised kaolinite , at 250 kPa for reconstituted London Clay and at 480 kPa for a mono-valent smectite. Furthermore, greater parallel particle alignment or reconstituting a sample enhances a soil's temperature sensitivity in the oedometer. The thermal changes to consolidation and permeability coefficients can be typically predicted by the corresponding change to the dynamic viscosity of water. Deviations occur with smectites at normal stresses greater than 480 kPa, while for Keuper Marl this occurred at normal stresses of 50 kPa and greater than 850 kPa. Keuper Marl exhibits a greater temperature sensitivity of different parameters than predicted by index tests. This is strongly dependent on consolidation pressure and temperature. At elevated temperatures (>40 °C) and under increasing consolidation pressure, ped units tend to collapse, but once the pressure is removed ped reformation occurs. Thus knowledge of thermal and stress histories, coupled with full material data, is essential to effectively predict temperature effects on the engineering behaviour of soils with any degree of confidence.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-138). Also available in electronic version.