Unconfined compressive strength of clay soils at different temperatures: Experimental and constitutive study

Unconfined compressive strength (S_u) is one of the soil engineering parameters used in geotechnical designs. Due to the temperature changes caused by some human activities, it is important to study the changes in S_u at different temperatures. On the other hand, due to the differences in the mineralogical composition of...

Finite Element analysis of soft boundary effects on the behaviour of shallow foundations

The response of a shallow foundation has been investigated by numerical simulations in a series of 1g small scale tests using the Finite Element Method. In this numerical study, special attention has been given to the influence of soft boundaries as a measure to counteract boundary effects, since limitations of space were present in the...

Numerical simulations of static liquefaction in submerged slopes

The static liquefaction tank (SL-tank) is a unique large-scale facility that provides a means to simulate the conditions of a submerged soil slope under failure conditions. Static liquefaction (SL) may be defined as a significant loss of soil’s shear strength due to a substantial development of excess pore water pressure under monotonic loads....

Finite Element Modelling for Earthquake Loads on Dykes

In the last decades, induced earthquakes were caused by the extraction of gas in the Dutch province of Groningen. Both magnitude and frequency of these earthquakes are expected to increase in the following years, causing a threat for the flood defence system. To guarantee the safety against flooding, it is required to take the influence of...