The settlement behavior of granular soils under vertical loading using the histogram equalization method

Abstract

Settlement characteristics of soils are an important phenomenon in terms of bearing capacity and failure behavior. Within this context, the relative density value is a significant factor but its correlations are insufficient to provide precise results under exceptional conditions. The main aim of this study is to determine, for each soil type, the parameters that affect the settlement behavior of granular soils. Soil samples belonging to different granular soil classes were placed in transparent boxes and monitored. Then, behaviors were determined using the Histogram Equalization Method (HEM) performed on the images and loading tests. As a result, it was observed that relative density was the most effective factor for settlement behavior in sandy soils. Also, well-grading criteria was the most important factor for gravelly soils in their settlement behavior. In the well-graded soil samples in a dense condition, the pixel numbers in the image were found to be approximately 2 times higher than in the loose soils. On the other hand, the maximum pixel number for loose conditions in poor-graded soil samples was determined between 1.02 and 1.17 times greater compared to the dense soils. Consequently, the outputs obtained from the HEM agreed with the experiments.