Fatigue damage characteristics of moraine soil subjected to dynamic loading via the energy dissipation method

Abstract

The evolution mechanism of the dynamic response and failure mode of moraines under dynamic loading is unclear because of the special structure of mixed coarse and fine particles and sharp edges. This work established a novel fatigue parameter (a) and a fatigue damage model for a moraine on the basis of its strain development mechanism and energy dissipation observed through cyclic loading experiments. The strain mode, dynamic strength characteristics and fatigue damage development process of the moraine were investigated. The fatigue parameters reflect the speed of fatigue damage, and the fatigue damage model describes the development process and characteristics of fatigue damage. The results revealed that the moraine exhibited a strain hardening mode and fatigue damage under low cyclic loading, and the fatigue life was related to the particle size and water content. The dynamic strength is positively correlated with the coarse particle size and negatively correlated with the water content. Furthermore, the fatigue parameters are positively correlated with the dynamic stress and negatively correlated with the particle size. The fatigue parameters converge when the water content is 8%. The fatigue parameters are influenced by the particles, water content and stress. Under different dynamic stresses, water contents and particle sizes, the moraine exhibited three fatigue damage development modes, including convex, linear and concave fatigue damage. Moreover, the development of convex damage was rapid in the early stage, and concave damage was rapid in the late stage. At a low fatigue parameter (a<1.43), the moraine exhibited convex fatigue damage, whereas the moraine exhibited concave fatigue damage at high fatigue parameters (a>1.9). This work can provide a reference for disaster assessment and prevention of moraine slopes in complex environments.

Keywords

moraine / dynamic triaxial test / fatigue damage characteristics / fatigue parameters / fatigue damage model

References

[1] Evans D J A, Phillips E R, Hiemstra J Fet al. . Subglacial till: Formation, sedimentary characteristics and classification [J]. Earth-Science Reviews. 2006, 78(1–2): 115-176.

[2] Rettig L, Lukas S, Huss M. Implications of a rapidly thinning ice margin for annual moraine formation at Gornergletscher, Switzerland [J]. Quaternary Science Reviews. 2023, 308: 108085.

[3] Kumar A, Bhambri R, Tiwari S Ket al. . Evolution of debris flow and moraine failure in the Gangotri Glacier region, Garhwal Himalaya: Hydro-geomorphological aspects [J]. Geomorphology. 2019, 333152-166.

[4] Clarke B G, Hughes D B, Hashemi S. Physical characteristics of subglacial tills [J]. Géotechnique. 2008, 58(1): 67-76.

[5] Liang Y-k, Cao L-f, Liu J-yet al. . Numerical simulation of mechanical response of glacial tills under biaxial compression with the DEM [J]. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. 2019, 78(3): 1575-1588.

[6] Wang Y-k, Liu X-l, Zhang X-let al. . Dynamic response characteristics of moraine-soil slopes under the combined action of earthquakes and cryogenic freezing [J]. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 2023, 211: 103854.

[7] Feng J-d, Li J-g, Wang Ret al. . Large scale direct shear test on strength behavior of railway moraine soils in Yunnan[J]. Rock and Soil Mechanics. 2008, 29(12): 3205-3210(in Chinese)

[8] Qiu E-x, He Q-l, Chen Q-let al. . Influence of freeze - thaw cycles on mechanical properties of moraine soils [J]. Transportation Geotechnics. 2023, 42: 101097.

[9] Wang J, Cui P, Wang Het al. . Insight into geotechnical properties of glacial tills in a periglacial area, Southeast Tibet [J]. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. 2022, 818303.

[10] Feng J, Chen Z-k, Wu Jet al. . Strength characteristic of unsaturated MoraineSoil at high-plateau airport [J]. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. 2024, 3321101-1109.

[11] Okada T, Naya T. A new model for evaluating the dynamic shear strength of rocks based on laboratory test data for earthquake-resistant design [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2019, 115979-989.

[12] Liu W Y, Zhu Q Z, Zhang Jet al. . A micromechanical fatigue damage model for quasi-brittle rocks subjected to triaxial compressive cyclic loads [J]. Computers and Geotechnics. 2023, 163: 105747.

[13] Li J-f, Cao Y, Chen F-set al. . Cumulative effects of cyclic train loading on strains in reinforced soils around tunnels [J]. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. 2024, 187108994.

[14] Zhu C, Karakus M, He M-cet al. . Volumetric deformation and damage evolution of Tibet interbedded skarn under multistage constant-amplitude-cyclic loading [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. 2022, 152105066.

[15] Liu F-r, Ma W, Zhou Z-wet al. . The damage and fatigue behaviors of frozen soil under combined cyclic compression (tensile) -shear conditions [J]. International Journal of Fatigue. 2024, 182108178.

[16] Wang M, Kong L-w, Zhao Cet al. . Dynamic characteristics of lime-treated expansive soil under cyclic loading [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2012, 4(4): 352-359.

[17] Jain A, Mittal S, Shukla S K. Liquefaction proneness of stratified sand-silt layers based on cyclic triaxial tests [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2023, 1571826-1845.

[18] Cui Z-d, He P-p, Yang W-hao. Mechanical properties of a silty clay subjected to freezing - thawing [J]. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 2014, 98: 26-34.

[19] Zhang A-l, Zhang R, Ai Tet al. . Fatigue characteristics of deep excavation-disturbed Jinping marble [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2025, 17(1): 341-356.

[20] Sun B, Zhu Z-d, Shi Cet al. . Dynamic mechanical behavior and fatigue damage evolution of sandstone under cyclic loading [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. 2017, 94: 82-89.

[21] Zhang J, Liu W Y, Zhu Q Zet al. . A novel elastic – plastic damage model for rock materials considering microstructural degradation due to cyclic fatigue [J]. International Journal of Plasticity. 2023, 160: 103496.

[22] Li S-c, Xu J, Tao Y-qet al. . Low cycle fatigue damage model and damage variable expression of rock [J]. Rock and Soil Mechanics. 2009, 30(6): 1611-1614(in Chinese)

[23] Yan C-b, Wang H-j, Xu Xet al. . Identifying fatigue damage of mudded intercalations based on dynamic triaxial test [J]. Engineering Geology. 2021, 280: 105933.

[24] Xiao J-q, Ding D-x, Jiang F-let al. . Fatigue damage variable and evolution of rock subjected to cyclic loading [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. 2010, 473461-468.

[25] Lemaitre J. Formulation and identification of damage kinetic constitutive equations [M]. Continuum Damage Mechanics Theory and Application. 1987, Vienna, Springer Vienna37-89.

[26] Li T-t, Pei X-j, Guo Jet al. . An energy-based fatigue damage model for sandstone subjected to cyclic loading [J]. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. 2020, 53(11): 5069-5079.

[27] Zhang D, Liu E-l, Liu X-yet al. . A new strength criterion for frozen soils considering the influence of temperature and coarse-grained contents [J]. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 2017, 143: 1-12.

[28] Su Y, Cui Y-j, Dupla J Cet al. . Effect of water content on resilient modulus and damping ratio of fine/coarse soil mixtures with varying coarse grain contents [J]. Transportation Geotechnics. 2021, 26: 100452.

[29] Su Y, Cui Y-j, Dupla J Cet al. . Effect of water content on permanent deformation of fine/coarse soil mixtures with varying coarse grain contents and subjected to multi-stage cyclic loading [J]. Acta Geotechnica. 2022, 17(8): 3259-3268.

[30] Lin B, Zhang F, Feng D-cet al. . Accumulative plastic strain of thawed saturated clay under long-term cyclic loading [J]. Engineering Geology. 2017, 231: 230-237.

[31] Wang Y, Xia Y-j, Su Y-jet al. . Macro-meso fatigue failure characteristics of a bimsoil under multistage cyclic triaxial loads with different frequencies [J]. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering. 2022, 160: 107355.

[32] Liu T-f, Ushev E R, Jardine R J. Anisotropic stiffness and shear strength characteristics of a stiff glacial till [J]. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. 2020, 1461204020137.

[33] Zhou G G D, Chen L-l, Mu Q-yet al. . Effects of water content on the shear behavior and critical state of glacial till in Tianmo Gully of Tibet, China [J]. Journal of Mountain Science. 2019, 1681743-1759.

[34] Yin D-s, He C-l, Chen Wen. Theory of geotechnical strain hardening index and its rationale from fractional order calculus [J]. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. 2010, 325762-766(in Chinese)

[35] Liu Q-s, Huang S-b, Kang Y-set al. . Fatigue damage model and evaluation index for rock mass under freezing-thawing cycles [J]. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering. 2015, 34(6): 1116-1127(in Chinese)

[36] GRIBULIS D, DUNDULIS K, GADEIKIS S, et al. Undrained shear strength of glacial till soils and its determining factors [J]. Baltica, 2021: 246–252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5200/baltica.2021.2.8.

[37] Guo X-f, Xing X-f, Wang Z-het al. . Compression characteristic and creep behavior of moraine soil at xingkang bridge, west Sichuan, China [J]. Journal of Earth Science. 2023, 34(4): 1272-1279.

[38] Liu S-s, Li J, Lyu S-met al. . Deformation characteristics of root-reinforced soil under traffic induced cyclic loading [J]. Transportation Geotechnics. 2024, 49: 101424.

[39] Chang D, Lai Y-m, Yu Fan. An elastoplastic constitutive model for frozen saline coarse sandy soil undergoing particle breakage [J]. Acta Geotechnica. 2019, 14(6): 1757-1783.

[40] James L A. Ramberg-osgood strain-hardening characterization of an ASTM A302-BSteel [J]. Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology. 1995, 1174341-345.

[41] Liu Y, Dai Feng. A review of experimental and theoretical research on the deformation and failure behavior of rocks subjected to cyclic loading [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2021, 13(5): 1203-1230.

[42] Kan K, François B. Triaxial tension and compression tests on saturated lime-treated plastic clay upon consolidated undrained conditions [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2023, 15(12): 3328-3342.

[43] Wang Y, Liu D-q, Han J-qet al. . Effect of fatigue loading-confining stress unloading rate on marble mechanical behaviors: An insight into fracture evolution analyses [J]. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 2020, 12(6): 1249-1262.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Central South University