Abstract
Many geotechnical problems are under plane-strain conditions. However, geotechnical designs still rely largely on testing data obtained under axisymmetric conditions. Therefore a good understanding of the similarities and differences between the strength and deformation behaviours of soil under plane-strain and axisymmetric conditions is important. Experimental data obtained from drained triaxial and plane-strain tests on very loose and medium dense sand are presented in this paper. The strength and deformation characteristics of the sand under plane-strain conditions are studied and compared with those under axisymmetric conditions. The results show that the failure envelope on the plane under plane-strain conditions is below that under axisymmetric conditions, although the friction angle under plane-strain conditions is higher than that under axisymmetric conditions. The critical state line and the stress–dilatancy relationship under plane-strain conditions are also different from those under axisymmetric conditions.
Acknowledgements
Some of the test data presented in this paper were obtained by Dr W.K. Leong and Ms W.L. Loke. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.