Estimating the efficiency of the sandy soils-cement based grout interactions from Particle size distribution (PSD)

ABSTRACT

The particle size distribution of the soil fines content and mean particle size (d₅₀) are used in a number of soil property relationships and in the soil classification. To analyze and model particle size distribution (PSD) using a modified version of Vipulanandan p-q model, some data collected from several research studies and the results of prediction were compared with the Fredlund and Logistic Growth models used in the literature. The Vipulanandan p-q model parameters were correlated very well to various indices of PSDs such as the diameter in the particle size distribution curve corresponding to 10%, 30%, 60%, and 90% of finer (d_10, d_30, d_60, and d₉₀ respectively), mean particle size the diameter in the particle size distribution curve corresponding to 50% finer (d₅₀), and fines content (F%). There was no correlation between Fredlund model and Logistic Growth model parameters with soil PSD properties. Based on the coefficient of determination (R²) and root mean square error (RMSE), the proposed Vipulanandan p-q model was in a very good agreement with the experimental results. The relationship between fines content and d₅₀ were also generalized using the Vipulanandan p-q model to quantify the upper and lower groutability limits for sandy soils.

KEYWORDS:

• Soil PSD properties
• fine-grained soil
• particle-size distribution
• groutability limit
• modeling

Acknowledgments

The Civil Engineering Department, University of Sulaimani, Gasin Cement Co. and Zarya Construction Co. supported this study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.