[Truncated abstract] Characterising the behaviour of calcareous sediments that possess some degree of bonding between their constituents has attracted worldwide research interest in recent years. Although many recent studies have made significant contributions in delineating the behaviour of these sediments, there is still paucity of information particularly on the cyclic behaviour of cemented calcareous soils. This thesis describes in detail the characteristic features of cemented calcareous soils and proposes methods for characterising their cyclic behaviour. Two different calcareous soils Goodwyn (GW) and Ledge Point (LP) soils representing extreme depositional environments were examined in this study. Artificially cemented sample were created using the CIPS (Calcite Insitu Precipitation Systems) technique, considering its superiority over other most commonly available cementation techniques in replicating the natural pattern of cementation, and the behaviour of natural calcarenite under monotonic loading conditions. The experimental program involved triaxial testing of both uncemented and calcite-cemented calcareous soils under different loading conditions, i.e. isotropic compression tests to high-pressure (16 MPa), monotonic shearing tests, undrained cyclic shearing tests and undrained monotonic post-cyclic shearing tests. Significant emphasis has been placed on the cyclic behaviour of these soils. Internal submersible LDVTs were used for the accurate and continuous measurement of strain down to about 10-5

[Truncated abstract] Characterising the behaviour of calcareous sediments that possess some degree of bonding between their constituents has attracted worldwide research interest in recent years. Although many recent studies have made significant contributions in delineating the behaviour of these sediments, there is still paucity of information particularly on the cyclic behaviour of cemented calcareous soils. This thesis describes in detail the characteristic features of cemented calcareous soils and proposes methods for characterising their cyclic behaviour. Two different calcareous soils Goodwyn (GW) and Ledge Point (LP) soils representing extreme depositional environments were examined in this study. Artificially cemented sample were created using the CIPS (Calcite Insitu Precipitation Systems) technique, considering its superiority over other most commonly available cementation techniques in replicating the natural pattern of cementation, and the behaviour of natural calcarenite under monotonic loading conditions. The experimental program involved triaxial testing of both uncemented and calcite-cemented calcareous soils under different loading conditions, i.e. isotropic compression tests to high-pressure (16 MPa), monotonic shearing tests, undrained cyclic shearing tests and undrained monotonic post-cyclic shearing tests. Significant emphasis has been placed on the cyclic behaviour of these soils. Internal submersible LDVTs were used for the accurate and continuous measurement of strain down to about 10-5

In dense cities, the interactions between all structures, from tall skyscrapers to complex underground tunnel systems, need to be carefully analysed as soon as a new project is considered. This is necessary because of the stress changes in the soil induced by each new construction. Demolishing a building could cause heave at the base of the excavation, deflections in supporting structures and settlements of the surroundings. The behaviour can be modelled in order to predict how large the deformations will be. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of such models. This is done through the application of a parameter sensitivity analysis on models created in Plaxis. The purpose of the analysis is to identify which factors cause discrepancies between the models and the actual displacements monitored on site. The project being examined is located in central London. The analysis focuses on the displacements of existing tunnels below the site caused by the demolition of two buildings. An analysis was carried out to investigate the significance of different parameters, of different material models and methods of analysis, of 3D effects and of inaccurate groundwater data. Ground investigations, laboratory tests and published data were the main sources used to collect reliable initial input parameters for the material models. A model was created in Plaxis 2D using the Mohr-Coulomb and the Hardening Soil with small-strain stiffness material models, using two types of undrained analysis. A model using the Mohr-Coulomb material model was created in Plaxis 3D as well. A sensitivity analysis was then carried out on the 2D models to identify which input parameters were most significant to the tunnel displacements. The results were compared to monitoring data and a back-analysis was carried out to produce more accurate results. The initial and adjusted input parameters were also tested on the 3D model. Finally, the groundwater level was altered. The results indicate that soil stiffness and effective cohesion are the most significant. Small-strain stiffness is shown to be especially important when analysing small tunnel deformation. The 3D model generally yielded more accurate results than the 2D model, while the groundwater level did not appear to affect the deformations. / I tätbebyggda städer bör samspelet mellan olika konstruktioner, från skyskrapor till tunnelsystem, analyseras noga så fort ett nytt projekt ska påbörjas. Detta är kritiskt på grund av den förändrade spänningsfördelning som uppstår i marken vid varje ny byggnation. Marken häver sig, stödmurar deformeras och den omkringliggande marken sätter sig när en byggnad rivs. Denna process kan modelleras för att uppskatta hur stora deformationerna kommer att bli. Det här examensarbetet utvärderar hur effektiv en sådan modell är. En känslighetsanalys utfördes på modeller skapade i Plaxis. Syftet med denna analys är att undersöka vilka faktorer som orsakar skillnader mellan modellerna och mätdata. Projektet ligger i centrala London och analysen fokuserar på tunneldeformationer orsakade av att två byggnader rivs. Tunnlarna befinner sig i ett lager av Londonlera under byggarbetsplatsen. En analys utfördes för att undersöka huruvida olika parameterar, olika materialmodeller och analysmetoder, 3D effekter och grundvattennivån påverkar tunnelförflyttningarna. Markundersökningar, labbtester och publicerad data användes som grund för att bestämma indatavärden. En 2D modell skapades i Plaxis genom att använda materialmodellerna Mohr-Coulomb och ”Hardening Soil with small-strain stiffness”. En Mohr-Coulomb modell skapades dessutom i Plaxis 3D. En känslighetsanalys utfördes sedan på 2D modellen för att identifiera vilka parametrar som påverkade tunnelförflyttningarna mest. Resultaten jämfördes med mätdata och viktiga parameterar ändrades för att ge bättre resultat. Inverkan av att ändra dessa värden undersöktes även i 3D modellen. Slutligen undersöktes påverkan av en förhöjd grundvattennivå. Resultaten antyder att jordens styvhet och den effektiva kohesionen har störst inverkan på resultaten. Styvheten vid små töjningar visar sig vara särskilt viktigt eftersom deformationerna år små. 3D modellen gav generellt sätt mer korrekta resultat än modellen i 2D. En högre grundvattennivå påverkade inte resultaten nämnvärt.

During the casting of a concrete bridge deck, the temporary formwork is causing the underlying ground to deform if a shallow foundation solution is used. There are often demands on the maximum deformation of the superstructure when designing the foundation for the formwork.  To keep the deformations within the desired limits, several ground improvement methods like deep mixing columns or deep foundation methods like piling can be used. Permanent ground improvement methods are however expensive, and far from always needed. To reduce the need for unnecessary ground improvements, it is crucial to calculate the predicted deformations accurately during the design phase. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how short-term deformations in clay under a formwork during bridge construction should be calculated more generally in future projects. Three different calculation models have here been used to calculate the ground deformations caused by the temporary formwork. A simple analytical calculation and two numerical calculations based on the Mohr Coulomb and Hardening Soil-Small constitutive models. The three calculation models were chosen based on their complexity. The analytical calculation model was the most idealised and the Hardening Soil-Small to be the most complex and most realistic model. Results show that the numerical calculation model Mohr Coulomb and the analytical calculation model gives the best results compared to the measured deformation. One of the most probable reasons for the result is that both of the models require a few input parameters that can easily be determined by well-known methods, such as triaxial-, routine- and CRS-tests. The more advanced Hardening soil small model requires many parameters to fully describe the behaviour of soil. Many of the parameters are hard to determine or seldom measured. Due to the larger uncertainties in the parameter selection compared with the other two models, the calculated deformation also contains larger uncertainties. / Vid gjutning av betongbrodäck kommer den underliggande marken att deformeras av den temporära formställningen, som tar upp lasterna medan betongen härdar. Det finns oftast krav på hur stora markdeformationerna maximalt får vara. För att hålla deformationerna inom gränserna kan diverse markförstärkningsmetoder, så som kalkcementpelare eller pålar, användas. Permanenta markförstärkningar är oftast väldigt dyra och inte alltid nödvändiga. Ett alternativ till att använda dyra markförstärkningar skulle kunna vara att beräkna den förutspådda deformationen med stor exakthet i projekteringsstadiet. Syftet med det här arbetet var att undersöka hur korttidsstätningar i lera vid en bronybyggnation ska beräknas mer generellt i framtida projekt.  I detta arbete har tre beräkningsmodeller använts för att beräkna markdeformationerna från den temporära formställningen. En enklare analytisk modell samt två numeriska beräkningsmodeller som baseras på Mohr Coulomb och Hardening Soil Small teorierna. De tre beräkningsmodellerna valdes utifrån deras komplexitet. Den analytiska beräkningen ansågs vara den mest förenklade modellen medan Hardening Soil-Small var den mest komplexa och realistiska modellen.   Resultatet visar att trots sin enkelhet så ger den numeriska beräkningsmodellen Mohr Coulomb och den analytiska beräkningen bäst resultat jämfört med de uppmätta deformationerna. En möjlig anledning till det goda resultatet är att modellerna endast kräver ett fåtal ingångsparametrar som kan bestämmas med hjälp av välkända fält- och laboratoriemetoder så som triaxialförsök, rutinlaboratorieförsök och CRS-försök. Den mer komplexa modellen Hardening Soil Small kräver flera ingångsparametrar för att kunna modellera jordens beteende. Många av parametrarna är svåra att bestämma då mätdata oftast saknas. Osäkerheterna i valet av ingångsparametrar för den mer komplexa hardening soil small modellen är större än de två andra studerade modellerna, vilekt även ger upphov till större osäkerheter i dem beräknade deformationerna.

I samband med Förbifart Stockholm och Tvärförbindelse Södertörn förväntas en flaskhals skapas vid Vårbybron i södra Stockholm. För att förhindra överbelastning planeras en nybyggnation där pålgrundläggning med grävpålar föreslås. Markförhållanden är ovanliga i Stockholm, med över 100 meter ned till berg. Komplexa omständigheter i området gör det nödvändigt att analysera markrörelser som verkar på grundläggningen. Syftet med studien är att undersöka horisontella- och vertikala sättningar vid ett brolandfäste. Syftet är vidare att analysera vilken typ av numerisk konstitutiv modell som är lämplig med hänsyn till studiens specifika fall och område; Mohr-Coulomb (MC), Hardening Soil (HS) och Hardening Soil med small-strain stiffness (HSS). Slutligen ska jordparametrarnas väsentlighet avgöras i en parameterstudie. Sonderingsdata tillämpas i studien för att skapa en jordlagermodell i AutoCAD Civil 3D 2019 Metric och vidare simulering av sättningar i Plaxis 2D. Vid modellering av sättningar i förekommande geologi rekommenderas att en avancerad modell används, med fördel HSS. Däremot kräver mer avancerade modeller noggranna indata för tillförlitligt resultat och ytterligare tester för styvhetsparametrar bör utföras. I detta projekt kan dyrare tester tänkas sänka slutgiltig budget, eftersom underskattning av moduler i djupa och fast lagrade jordar baserade på konservativt valda moduler ger upphov till en dyrare konstruktion. / In conjunction with the opening of the Stockholm Bypass and Tvärförbindelse Södertörn, a bottleneck is expected at the bridge Vårbybron in southern Stockholm. To prevent traffic congestion, a new construction is planned where pile foundation consisting of bored piles is proposed. The ground conditions are unusual and not typical for Stockholm involving over 100 meters distance to rock. Complex circumstances in the area makes it complicated as well as necessary to analyze ground movements. The aim of the study is to investigate horizontal- and vertical settlements at a bridge abutment. The aim is further to analyze which type of numerical constitutive model that is appropriate with respect to the specific case and area; Mohr-Coulomb (MC), Hardening Soil (HS) and Hardening Soil with small-strain stiffness (HSS). Finally, the significance of the soil parameters is to be determined in a parameter analysis. Results from soundings are used to create a geological model in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2019 Metric. Furthermore, simulation of settlements in Plaxis 2D is performed. It is recommended to apply advanced models for this type of geology, advantageously HSS. However, more advanced models require accurate input data to obtain reliable results, and additional tests for stiffness parameters must be performed for accuracy in the results. In this project, more expensive tests can be thought of as lowering the final budget, as underestimation of modules in deep and stiff soils based on conservatively selected modules leads to an unnecessarily expensive construction.

A rigidez a pequenas deformações e sua respectiva degradação são informações cruciais para se determinar parâmetros de projeto mais precisos. Apesar de sua importância, estas propriedades não são usualmente investigadas. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi de estudar a degradação da rigidez da areia de Osório artificialmente cimentada por meio de diferentes métodos de laboratório. A escolha por um material cimentado ocorreu baseada em apelos ambientais, econômicos e técnicos. O presente estudo também objetiva desenvolver e validar um sistema de Bender Elements (BE), que forneça resultados confiáveis na avaliação da degradação do solo. Pares de BE foram construídos para serem utilizados em testes de bancada e ensaios triaxiais. Além disso, um amplificador de sinal, assim como scripts foram desenvolvidos especialmente para a interpretação dos dados no domínio do tempo. O aumento da rigidez durante o processo de cura foi avaliado por meio da velocidade de onda cisalhante, medida pelos BE e por um equipamento de ondas ultrassônicas (UPV), sob condições de pressão atmosférica. Ensaios de degradação da rigidez, por sua vez, foram conduzidos em uma câmara triaxial especialmente modificada para a instalação dos BE Após sete dias de cura atmosférica, os corpos-de-prova foram cisalhados no equipamento triaxial modificado enquanto mudanças de rigidez eram obtidas por meio de testes de BE e instrumentação interna. Os resultados demonstraram que o sistema BE desenvolvido foi bem sucedido na avaliação da rigidez do solo estudado. A comparação entre os resultados do BE e UPV não foi conclusiva no que se refere à dependência do solo à frequência. A degradação do módulo obtida por ambas as metodologias apresentou uma adequada concordância para o corpo-deprova com menor quantidade de cimento. Módulos obtidos por BE foram pouco maiores que os obtidos por medidas internas. Ainda, a interpretação no domínio do tempo dos resultados de BE para corpos-de-prova cimentados, especialmente durante ensaios triaxiais, foi difícil de ser executada, reforçando a necessidade de se combinar diferentes métodos de interpretação quando BE forem utilizados. / Stiffness at small strains and its respective degradation are crucial information to determine more precise design parameters. Despite their importance, these properties are not usually investigated. Thus, the objective of the present work was to study the stiffness degradation of artificially cemented Osorio sand by means of different laboratory methods. The choice for a cemented material was based on environmental, economic, and technical appeals. The present study also aimed to develop and validate a Bender Elements (BE) system that can provide reliable results in the evaluation of soil degradation. BE pairs were built for bench and triaxial tests. In addition, a signal amplifier, as well as scripts were specially developed for the interpretation of data in the time domain. Increase in stiffness during the curing process was evaluated by shear wave velocity measured by BE and an ultrasonic pulse wave velocity (UPV) equipment under atmospheric pressure conditions. Stiffness degradation tests were conducted in a specially modified triaxial chamber for BE installation After seven days of atmospheric curing, specimens were sheared in the modified triaxial equipment, while stiffness changes were obtained by BE tests and internal instrumentation. The results showed that the developed BE system was capable of successfully evaluating the studied soil. The comparison between BE and UPV results was not conclusive regarding soil dependence on frequency. Shear module degradation obtained with the two methodologies presented an adequate agreement for the specimen with the smaller amount of cement. Shear moduli obtained with BE were slightly larger than those obtained with internal measurements. Also, BE results interpretation in the time domain for cemented specimens, especially in the triaxial tests, was difficult to perform, reinforcing the need to combine different interpretation methods when BE are used.

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / Soil Stiffness is an important parameter for any geotechnical engineering design. In laboratory tests it can be derived from stress-strain curves or from dynamic measurement based on wave propagation theory. The second method is a more accurate and direct method for measuring stiffness at very small strains. Until now dynamic measurements have usually been obtained manually from the triaxial test. Attempts have been made to automate the procedure but have apparently failed due to the high level of variability in dynamic measurements. Moreover, triaxial tests of soil can be very lengthy and manual dynamic measurements can be very tedious and impractical for long stress-path tests. In this research a computer program has been developed to automate the stiffness measurement (using bender elements) based on the cross- correlation technique. In this method the program records all the peaks and corresponding arrival times in the cross-correlation signal during the test. The stiffness is calculated and displayed on the screen continuously. The Bender Element enabled to get the small strain shear modulus. An arbitrary “Chirp” waveform of 4 kHz frequency was used for this purpose. Subsequently Bender Element test results were checked by ‘Sine’ waveforms of frequencies 5kHz to 20kHz, as well as by manual inspection of the arrival time. This thesis discusses the method and some of the difficulties in truly automating the process. Finally some results from a number of stress path tests on uncemented and cemented calcareous sediments are presented. Bender elements have been used by many researchers to determine the shear modulus at small strain. Most previous studies have used visual observation of arrival time, which is time consuming and often requires some judgement from the operator. This thesis will describe the use of cross-correlation as a method for automation of Gmax measurement. Cross-correlation has been claimed to be unreliable in the past. However, it will be shown that provided several peaks in the cross-correlation signal are monitored it is possible to follow the variation of Gmax throughout consolidation and shearing. The measurement can be made at regular intervals within the software controlling a stress-path apparatus. Details of the apparatus used and practical considerations including selection of waveform and frequency are discussed. A series of drained cyclic triaxial tests was carried out on artificially cemented and uncemented calcareous soil of dry unit weights 13, 15, and 17 kN/m3 and sheared with constant effective confining stress 300 kPa. Gypsum cement contents of 10%, 20% and 30% of the dry soil weight were used. In addition a series of stress path tests were performed on Toyuora sand samples. Results will be presented for two uncemented and one cemented sand. In addition to the bender elements, all tests had internal instrumentation to monitor axial and lateral strains. Results will be presented for Toyura sand to show that the measurements are consistent with those obtained by other methods. Results will also be presented for carbonate sand subjected to a wide range of stress paths. Finally, results will be presented for the carbonate sand cemented with gypsum. The degradation of Gmax of the cemented soil subjected to variety of monotonic and cyclic stress-paths is presented. Analysis of the results includes assessment of the factors influencing Gmax for uncemented sand. Preliminary analysis indicates that in order of importance these are the mean effective stress, the stress history, void ratio and stress ratio. For cemented sand, Gmax is initially constant and independent of stress path. After yielding the modulus degrades, becoming increasingly stress level dependent and eventually approaches the value for uncemented sand. Factors influencing the rate of degradation are discussed. For the Toyuora sand samples the effects of end restraint on the stress-strain response at small strains were investigated. The conventional method of mounting triaxial specimen has the effect of introducing friction between sample and end platen during a compression test. This inevitably restricts free lateral movement of the specimen ends. Frictional restraint at the sample ends causes the formation of 'dead zones' adjacent to the platens, resulting in non-uniform distribution of stress and strain (and of pore pressure if undrained). On the other hand the specimen with 'free' ends maintain an approximate cylindrical shape instead of barrelling when subjected to compression, resulting in a more uniform stress distribution.

In this dissertation, the framework is being developed for a new method to predict the settlements of shallow foundations on granular soil based on field seismic and laboratory dynamic tests. The new method combines small-strain seismic measurements in the field with nonlinear measurements in the field and/or in the laboratory. The small-strain shear modulus (Gmax ) of granular soil and the stress dependency of Gmax is determined from the shear wave velocity measurements in the field. Normalized shear modulus (G/Gmax ) versus log shear strain(log [gamma]) curves are determined from field or laboratory measurements or from empirical relationships. The G/Gmax -- log [gamma] curves and Gmax values are combined to determine the shear stress-shear strain response of granular soil starting from strains of 0.0001% up to 0.2-0.5%. The shear stress-shear strain responses at strains beyond 1.0-2.0 % are evaluated by adjusting the normalized shear modulus curves to larger-strain triaxial test data. A user defined soil model (MoDaMP) combines these relationships and incorporates the effect of increasing confining pressure during foundation loading. The MoDaMP is implemented in a finite element program, PLAXIS, via a subroutine. Measured settlements from load-settlement tests at three different sites where field seismic and laboratory dynamic measurements are available, are compared with the predicted settlements using MoDaMP. Predictions with MoDaMP are also compared with predictions with two commonly used methods based on Standard Penetration and Cone Penetration tests. The comparison of the predicted settlements with the measured settlements show that the new method developed in this research works well in working stress ranges. The capability of the new method has significant benefits in hard-to-sample soils such as in large-grained soils with cobbles and cemented soils where conventional penetration test methods fail to capture the behavior of the soil. The new method is an effective-stress analysis which has applicability to slower-draining soils such as plastic silts and clays. / text

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / Soil Stiffness is an important parameter for any geotechnical engineering design. In laboratory tests it can be derived from stress-strain curves or from dynamic measurement based on wave propagation theory. The second method is a more accurate and direct method for measuring stiffness at very small strains. Until now dynamic measurements have usually been obtained manually from the triaxial test. Attempts have been made to automate the procedure but have apparently failed due to the high level of variability in dynamic measurements. Moreover, triaxial tests of soil can be very lengthy and manual dynamic measurements can be very tedious and impractical for long stress-path tests. In this research a computer program has been developed to automate the stiffness measurement (using bender elements) based on the cross- correlation technique. In this method the program records all the peaks and corresponding arrival times in the cross-correlation signal during the test. The stiffness is calculated and displayed on the screen continuously. The Bender Element enabled to get the small strain shear modulus. An arbitrary “Chirp” waveform of 4 kHz frequency was used for this purpose. Subsequently Bender Element test results were checked by ‘Sine’ waveforms of frequencies 5kHz to 20kHz, as well as by manual inspection of the arrival time. This thesis discusses the method and some of the difficulties in truly automating the process. Finally some results from a number of stress path tests on uncemented and cemented calcareous sediments are presented. Bender elements have been used by many researchers to determine the shear modulus at small strain. Most previous studies have used visual observation of arrival time, which is time consuming and often requires some judgement from the operator. This thesis will describe the use of cross-correlation as a method for automation of Gmax measurement. Cross-correlation has been claimed to be unreliable in the past. However, it will be shown that provided several peaks in the cross-correlation signal are monitored it is possible to follow the variation of Gmax throughout consolidation and shearing. The measurement can be made at regular intervals within the software controlling a stress-path apparatus. Details of the apparatus used and practical considerations including selection of waveform and frequency are discussed. A series of drained cyclic triaxial tests was carried out on artificially cemented and uncemented calcareous soil of dry unit weights 13, 15, and 17 kN/m3 and sheared with constant effective confining stress 300 kPa. Gypsum cement contents of 10%, 20% and 30% of the dry soil weight were used. In addition a series of stress path tests were performed on Toyuora sand samples. Results will be presented for two uncemented and one cemented sand. In addition to the bender elements, all tests had internal instrumentation to monitor axial and lateral strains. Results will be presented for Toyura sand to show that the measurements are consistent with those obtained by other methods. Results will also be presented for carbonate sand subjected to a wide range of stress paths. Finally, results will be presented for the carbonate sand cemented with gypsum. The degradation of Gmax of the cemented soil subjected to variety of monotonic and cyclic stress-paths is presented. Analysis of the results includes assessment of the factors influencing Gmax for uncemented sand. Preliminary analysis indicates that in order of importance these are the mean effective stress, the stress history, void ratio and stress ratio. For cemented sand, Gmax is initially constant and independent of stress path. After yielding the modulus degrades, becoming increasingly stress level dependent and eventually approaches the value for uncemented sand. Factors influencing the rate of degradation are discussed. For the Toyuora sand samples the effects of end restraint on the stress-strain response at small strains were investigated. The conventional method of mounting triaxial specimen has the effect of introducing friction between sample and end platen during a compression test. This inevitably restricts free lateral movement of the specimen ends. Frictional restraint at the sample ends causes the formation of 'dead zones' adjacent to the platens, resulting in non-uniform distribution of stress and strain (and of pore pressure if undrained). On the other hand the specimen with 'free' ends maintain an approximate cylindrical shape instead of barrelling when subjected to compression, resulting in a more uniform stress distribution.

A rigidez a pequenas deformações e sua respectiva degradação são informações cruciais para se determinar parâmetros de projeto mais precisos. Apesar de sua importância, estas propriedades não são usualmente investigadas. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi de estudar a degradação da rigidez da areia de Osório artificialmente cimentada por meio de diferentes métodos de laboratório. A escolha por um material cimentado ocorreu baseada em apelos ambientais, econômicos e técnicos. O presente estudo também objetiva desenvolver e validar um sistema de Bender Elements (BE), que forneça resultados confiáveis na avaliação da degradação do solo. Pares de BE foram construídos para serem utilizados em testes de bancada e ensaios triaxiais. Além disso, um amplificador de sinal, assim como scripts foram desenvolvidos especialmente para a interpretação dos dados no domínio do tempo. O aumento da rigidez durante o processo de cura foi avaliado por meio da velocidade de onda cisalhante, medida pelos BE e por um equipamento de ondas ultrassônicas (UPV), sob condições de pressão atmosférica. Ensaios de degradação da rigidez, por sua vez, foram conduzidos em uma câmara triaxial especialmente modificada para a instalação dos BE Após sete dias de cura atmosférica, os corpos-de-prova foram cisalhados no equipamento triaxial modificado enquanto mudanças de rigidez eram obtidas por meio de testes de BE e instrumentação interna. Os resultados demonstraram que o sistema BE desenvolvido foi bem sucedido na avaliação da rigidez do solo estudado. A comparação entre os resultados do BE e UPV não foi conclusiva no que se refere à dependência do solo à frequência. A degradação do módulo obtida por ambas as metodologias apresentou uma adequada concordância para o corpo-deprova com menor quantidade de cimento. Módulos obtidos por BE foram pouco maiores que os obtidos por medidas internas. Ainda, a interpretação no domínio do tempo dos resultados de BE para corpos-de-prova cimentados, especialmente durante ensaios triaxiais, foi difícil de ser executada, reforçando a necessidade de se combinar diferentes métodos de interpretação quando BE forem utilizados. / Stiffness at small strains and its respective degradation are crucial information to determine more precise design parameters. Despite their importance, these properties are not usually investigated. Thus, the objective of the present work was to study the stiffness degradation of artificially cemented Osorio sand by means of different laboratory methods. The choice for a cemented material was based on environmental, economic, and technical appeals. The present study also aimed to develop and validate a Bender Elements (BE) system that can provide reliable results in the evaluation of soil degradation. BE pairs were built for bench and triaxial tests. In addition, a signal amplifier, as well as scripts were specially developed for the interpretation of data in the time domain. Increase in stiffness during the curing process was evaluated by shear wave velocity measured by BE and an ultrasonic pulse wave velocity (UPV) equipment under atmospheric pressure conditions. Stiffness degradation tests were conducted in a specially modified triaxial chamber for BE installation After seven days of atmospheric curing, specimens were sheared in the modified triaxial equipment, while stiffness changes were obtained by BE tests and internal instrumentation. The results showed that the developed BE system was capable of successfully evaluating the studied soil. The comparison between BE and UPV results was not conclusive regarding soil dependence on frequency. Shear module degradation obtained with the two methodologies presented an adequate agreement for the specimen with the smaller amount of cement. Shear moduli obtained with BE were slightly larger than those obtained with internal measurements. Also, BE results interpretation in the time domain for cemented specimens, especially in the triaxial tests, was difficult to perform, reinforcing the need to combine different interpretation methods when BE are used.