Analisa-se a influência da sucção matricial e da dimensão de sapatas na capacidade de carga e nos recalques de fundações rasas, assentes em areia não-saturada. Na primeira parte da pesquisa foram analisadas 14 provas de carga estática em placas metálicas rígidas assentes a 1,5 m de profundidade, com diâmetros de 0,20, 0,40 e 0,80m e em uma sapata circular de concreto com diâmetro de 1,50 m, no campo experimental de fundações da USP/São Carlos. Devido ao caráter colapsível do solo, a sucção matricial foi monitorada por meio de tensiômetros instalados no fundo da cava. Na segunda parte da pesquisa, foram realizados ensaios em centrífuga, na Universidade do Colorado em Boulder, utilizando-se placas metálicas de 30 mm, 50 mm e 100 mm, ensaiadas a 1 g, 5 g, 10 g, 15 g, 25 g, 50 g e 100 g. As placas foram assentes em maciço de areia em três condições de umidade: seca, inundada e não-inundada. A partir dos resultados obtidos, procedeu-se a análise da capacidade de carga levando-se em conta tanto o efeito da dimensão como o da sucção matricial. A influência da dimensão nos recalques também foi analisada. Ratificou-se que o aumento da sução matricial provoca um aumento substancial na capacidade de carga do sistema placa-solo e uma diminuição considerável nos recalques. Em relação à influência da dimensão no comportamento de fundações rasas, demonstrou-se que tanto a variação da capacidade de carga como a dos recalques não ocorre de forma linear e crescente como apresentado pelos métodos teóricos. Para pequenas dimensões da sapata, os valores de capacidade de carga e recalque aumentam / The influence of matric suction and size of footings in the bearing capacity and settlement of shallow foundations in unsaturated sandy soils are analyzed. Fourteen plate load tests were performed in the first part of the research. Rigid metallic plates with diameters 0,20, 0,40, 0,80 m and one concrete circular footing with 1,50 m were used in the tests. All plates and footing were positioned at 1,50 m depth. The tests were performed in the foundation experimental field of USP/São Carlos. Due to the soil collapsible character, the tests were performed with the monitoring of matric suction pressure through tensiometers installed in the bottom of the holes. Centrifuge tests were carried out at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the second part of the research. Metallic plates with 30 mm, 50 mm and 10 mm were used and the gravity levels were 1 g, 5 g, 10 g, 15 g, 25 g, 50 g e 100 g. The plates were positioned on top of a sandy soil with three moisture conditions: dry, flooded and non-flooded. Thus, the capacity will be analyzed taking into consideration both the geometry of the tested plates and the influence of the matric suction pressure. The footing size influence in the settlement was also analyzed. A substantial increase of the plate-soil system bearing capacity and a considerable decrease in the settlements, caused by matric suction increase, was confirmed. It was also demonstrated that the bearing capacity and settlements variations are not a linearly increasing function of the size as theoretical methods suggest. For small footings, the bearing capacity and settlement increase as the footing size decreases

Analisa-se a influência da sucção matricial e da dimensão de sapatas na capacidade de carga e nos recalques de fundações rasas, assentes em areia não-saturada. Na primeira parte da pesquisa foram analisadas 14 provas de carga estática em placas metálicas rígidas assentes a 1,5 m de profundidade, com diâmetros de 0,20, 0,40 e 0,80m e em uma sapata circular de concreto com diâmetro de 1,50 m, no campo experimental de fundações da USP/São Carlos. Devido ao caráter colapsível do solo, a sucção matricial foi monitorada por meio de tensiômetros instalados no fundo da cava. Na segunda parte da pesquisa, foram realizados ensaios em centrífuga, na Universidade do Colorado em Boulder, utilizando-se placas metálicas de 30 mm, 50 mm e 100 mm, ensaiadas a 1 g, 5 g, 10 g, 15 g, 25 g, 50 g e 100 g. As placas foram assentes em maciço de areia em três condições de umidade: seca, inundada e não-inundada. A partir dos resultados obtidos, procedeu-se a análise da capacidade de carga levando-se em conta tanto o efeito da dimensão como o da sucção matricial. A influência da dimensão nos recalques também foi analisada. Ratificou-se que o aumento da sução matricial provoca um aumento substancial na capacidade de carga do sistema placa-solo e uma diminuição considerável nos recalques. Em relação à influência da dimensão no comportamento de fundações rasas, demonstrou-se que tanto a variação da capacidade de carga como a dos recalques não ocorre de forma linear e crescente como apresentado pelos métodos teóricos. Para pequenas dimensões da sapata, os valores de capacidade de carga e recalque aumentam / The influence of matric suction and size of footings in the bearing capacity and settlement of shallow foundations in unsaturated sandy soils are analyzed. Fourteen plate load tests were performed in the first part of the research. Rigid metallic plates with diameters 0,20, 0,40, 0,80 m and one concrete circular footing with 1,50 m were used in the tests. All plates and footing were positioned at 1,50 m depth. The tests were performed in the foundation experimental field of USP/São Carlos. Due to the soil collapsible character, the tests were performed with the monitoring of matric suction pressure through tensiometers installed in the bottom of the holes. Centrifuge tests were carried out at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the second part of the research. Metallic plates with 30 mm, 50 mm and 10 mm were used and the gravity levels were 1 g, 5 g, 10 g, 15 g, 25 g, 50 g e 100 g. The plates were positioned on top of a sandy soil with three moisture conditions: dry, flooded and non-flooded. Thus, the capacity will be analyzed taking into consideration both the geometry of the tested plates and the influence of the matric suction pressure. The footing size influence in the settlement was also analyzed. A substantial increase of the plate-soil system bearing capacity and a considerable decrease in the settlements, caused by matric suction increase, was confirmed. It was also demonstrated that the bearing capacity and settlements variations are not a linearly increasing function of the size as theoretical methods suggest. For small footings, the bearing capacity and settlement increase as the footing size decreases

Avec les récents développements des mesures de champs, il est devenu possible deréaliser des expériences sur un échantillon de sol en effectuant des mesures simultanémentaux différentes échelles pertinentes : celle de l'échantillon, et celle des grains, et ceci en3D volumique. Ces progrès ont permis une meilleure compréhension des processus qui seproduisent dans le sol, en les observant au cœur même des échantillons.Cette thèse vise à caractériser les comportements de rétention d'eau et hydro-mécaniquedu sable d'Hostun non saturé à l'échelle du grain. Pour ce faire, des essais de rétentiond'eau et des essais triaxiaux ont été effectués, qui ont nécessité le développement d'outils detraitement d'image et des montages expérimentaux spécifiques. L'installation de tomographie à rayons X du Laboratoire 3SR de l'Université des Grenoble a été utilisée pour générer des images en 3D de la microstructure du sol non saturé. Une technique de trinarization a été mise en œuvre pour permettre la séparation des phases (les grains, l'eau et l'air) dans les images 3D, et d'effectuer différentes mesures à l'échelle du grain. La porosité et le degré de saturation ont été mesurées macroscopiquement en utilisant les images segmentées, et microscopiquement en utilisant un code de cartographie spécialement développé. Les mesures microscopiques ont été réalisées sur un volume élémentaire représentatif (VER), dont la taille a été déterminée en utilisant une analyse développée sur la base d'outils statistiques. Plusieurs analyses discrets ont été développées pour étudier l'évolution de la phase fluide (l'eau et l'air) avec le chargement (succion, et chargement mécanique). La corrélation d'images numérique 3D volumique a été mise en œuvre systématiquement pour ces deux types d'essais.Pour analyser le comportement de rétention d'eau du sable d'Hostun pendant les processus de séchage et de mouillage, une cellule spécifique a été développée. La succion a été appliquée en utilisant la technique de tensiomètre. L'échantillon (cylindrique 1x1cm) a été préparé en utilisant la technique de la pluviation sous l'eau et scanné avec une résolution de 7,5micron. La courbe de rétention d'eau, surface et les domaines hydriques ont été obtenus et le phénomène d'hystérésis et la cohésion du sol ont été analysés à l'échelle du grain.Pour le comportement hydro-mécanique des sols non saturés, des essais triaxiaux ontété effectué sous trois conditions: saturé drainé, non saturé drainé et non saturé non drainé. Un appareil triaxial que l'on peut placer à l'intérieur de la cabine du tomographe à rayons X a été développé afin de permettre le suivi des changements dans la microstructure du sable et la distribution de l'eau lorsque l'on soumet l'échantillon à chargement mécanique. L'échantillon (cylindre de dimensions hxd=2x1cm) a été préparé en utilisant la technique de la pluviation sous l'eau (complétement saturé au début des trois tests), amené ensuite au niveau de saturation désiré (dans le cas des essais non saturés), puis chargé par étapes successives avec scan à chaque étape avec une résolution de 13micron, jusqu'à arriver à 21% de déformation axiale pour les trois types d'essai. Les courbes contrainte-déformation, la réponse volumétrique et les déformations ont été obtenus et le profil de déformation, l'hétérogénéité de l'échantillon, la cohésion et la distribution de l'eau ont été analysés. / With the recent developments of full field measurements, it has become possible to do experiments on a soil specimen, and perform measurements at different scales. This progress has allowed greater understanding for all the processes that occur within the soil, and also created better environment to observe these mechanisms in 3D. This PhD work aims to characterize water retention and hydro-mechanical behaviours of unsaturated Hostun sand at the grain scale. To achieve this goal, water retention and triaxial tests were performed and a set of experimental and image processing tools was developed and used for the two series of tests. X-ray computed tomography set up available at 3SR Laboratory in Grenoble University was used to generate 3D images of the unsaturated soil microstructure non-destructively. A developed region growing systematic technique (trinarization technique) was used to allow the separation of the phases (i.e., grains, water and air) in the 3D images, and performing different measurements at the grain scale. Porosity and degree of saturationwere measured macroscopically using the trinarized images and microscopically using a developed mapping code. The microscopic measurements were performed over an REV, whose size was determined using a developed analysis based on statistical tools. Several microscopic-discrete analyses were developed to investigate the evolution of fluid phase (water and air) with loading (suction and mechanical loading). Digital Image Correlation was performed for the two tests.To analyze water retention behaviour of Hostun sand during drying and wetting processes, a pressure plate apparatus was developed. Suction was applied using tensiometry technique. The specimen (cylindrical 1x1cm) was prepared using water pluviation technique and scanned with a resolution 7.5micron. As a result, water retention curve, surface and domains were obtained and hysteresis phenomenon and soil cohesion were analyzed at the grain scale.For the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils, triaxial test were performed at three conditions: saturated drained, unsaturated drained and unsaturated undrained. A triaxial apparatus that can be placed inside the x-ray cabinet was developed in order to facilitate monitoring the changes in sand microstructure and water distribution when subjecting the soil specimen to loading. The specimen (cylinder of hxd=2x1cm) was prepared using water pluviation technique (completely saturated at the beginning of the three tests), loaded then scanned with a resolution 13micron, repeatedly till reaching 21% axial strain forthe three tests.Consequently, stress-strain curves, volumetric response and deformations measurements were obtained and deformation pattern, specimen heterogeneity, cohesion and water distribution were analyzed.