Predicting the thermomechanical behaviour of natural clays

In this paper a study is made of the thermomechanical behaviour of natural and reconstituted clays. It is seen that similarity exists in the patterns of the mechanical behaviour of soil at different temperatures and those with different structures. Because of this similarity, the theoretical framework of the Structured Cam Clay (SCC) soil model has been employed to describe the thermomechanical behaviour of natural clays. This framework has been generalized so that the main features of the thermomechanical response of natural clays are specifically included. Finally, the extended SCC model has been employed to simulate the behaviour of natural clays at temperatures varying from 00 to 1000C. The capacity of the model to represent the thermomechanical behaviour of clays is evaluated, based on comparisons of model simulations with the results of laboratory measurements. A general discussion on modelling the influence of temperature on clay behaviour is also presented