Experimental study on permanent deformation characteristics of coarse-grained soil under repeated dynamic loading

AbstractPractical assessment of subgrade settlement induced by train operation requires developing suitable models capable of describing permanent deformation characteristics of subgrade filling under repeated dynamic loading. In this paper, repeated load triaxial tests were performed on coarse-grained soil (CGS), and the axial permanent strain of CGS under different confining pressures and dynamic stress amplitudes was analysed. Permanent deformation behaviors of CGS were categorized based on the variation trend of permanent strain rate with accumulated permanent strain and the shakedown theory. A prediction model of permanent deformation considering stress state and number of load cycles was established, and the ranges of parameters for different types of dynamic behaviors were also divided. The results indicated that the variational trend of permanent strain rate with accumulated permanent strain can be used as a basis for classifying dynamic behaviors of CGS. The stress state (confining pressure and dynamic stress amplitude) has significant effects on the permanent strain rate. The accumulative characteristics of permanent deformation of CGS with the number of load cycles can be described by a power function, and the model parameters can reflect the influence of confining pressure and dynamic stress amplitude. The study’s results could help deepen understanding of the permanent deformation characteristics of CGS.