Some geomechanical properties of a biopolymer treated medium sand. This paper presents a laboratory assessment of geomechanical properties of sandy soil improved by biopolymer application. Additives (biosubstance) consist of polysaccharides and water. Biosubstance used in the project was xanthan gum, which comes from bacteria Xanthomonas campestris. Triaxial shear compression tests and unconfi ned compression tests were carried out for investigation purposes. Amount of the biopolymer used in the samples was 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%, on dry weight basis. It is thought that such application, which is a relatively new technique, could be used as a ground improvement and water seepage barrier, required to strengthen and protect some geotechnical works including foundation, underground structures and waste disposals. The results indicate that behavior of the soil changes rapidly based on the amount of biosubstance. Shear strength parameters have shown a signifi cant increase, which gives a chance for further development and possible applications.

The dynamic properties of compacted non-cohesive soils are desired not only because of the risk of natural sources of dynamic excitations such as earthquakes, but mostly because of the anthropogenic impact of machines that are working on such soils. These soils are often unsaturated, which positively affects the soil’s mechanical properties. The information about the values of these parameters is highly desirable for engineers. In this article, we performed a series of tests, including oedometric tests, resonant column tests, bender element tests, and unsaturated triaxial tests, to evaluate those characteristic parameters. The results showed that sandy silt soil has a typical reaction to dynamic loading in terms of shear modulus degradation and the damping ratio curves’ characteristics, which can be modeled by using empirical equations. We found that the compaction procedure caused an over-consolidation state dependent on the moisture content during compaction effort. The article analyzed the soil properties that impact the maximum shear modulus G0 value. Those properties were suction s, confining pressure σ3, and compaction degree represented by the void ratio function f(e).

Suction controlled triaxial testing of unsaturated medium sand and sandy clay. This paper presents the results of the triaxial tests performed on medium sand and sandy clay samples. The shear strength and deformation characteristics from consolidated drained (CD) tests performed in a controlled saturation state were determined. The study was conducted in a modern apparatus for triaxial testing of unsaturated samples. Test specimens with a diameter of 70 mm and height of 140 mm were prepared by compaction in a laboratory in a special form. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of matric suction on the shear strength and deformation characteristic of medium sand and sandy clay. The axis translation technique was used to apply matric suction to soil specimens.

The paper presents an evaluation of the influence of the degree of saturation of soil with water on its stiffness in the range of small deformations. Appropriate analysis of the interaction of the building structure with the subsoil carried out with the use of numerical methods requires the knowledge of parameters, in particular stiffness characteristics in the range of deformations corresponding to the actual conditions of the structure’s work. Usually the deformations of the subsoil caused by the structure do not exceed 10–3, therefore it is particularly important for the geotechnical engineer to determine the soil stiffness in the range of deformations 10–5–10–3. In order to determine the stiffness characteristics of cohesive subsoil, a triaxial compression apparatus equipped with piezoelectric elements of bender type was used, enabling the measurement of the transverse wave velocity inside the sample. The base of the described triaxial apparatus is equipped with high-pressure air entry ceramics (HAEV), which allowed to use the technique of “axis translation” to perform tests for variable (controlled) degree of saturation of the soil sample with water. In the literature, the degree of saturation (Sr) and soil moisture are mentioned as one of many factors which, apart from physical properties, values of effective stresses, voids index, stress history and others, infl uence the velocity of wave propagation in the ground. The publication describes the methodology of research and presents the results of own research.