Strain rate effect on the compressive strength of frozen sand

Cylindrical specimens of fine Ottawa sand (A.S.T.M. designation C-109), compacted at the optimum moisture content and saturated before unidirectional freezing, have been tested in uniaxial compression at a cold room temperature of -5.5 degrees C and strain rates between 10[- 7] and 10[-2]s[-1]. The results agree with an extrapolation of data obtained by Sayles and Epanchin [1], but are much higher than those obtained by both Goughnour and Andersland [ 2] and Perkins and Ruedrich [3] at strain rates below 10[-5] s[-1]. There is evidence that this may be due to variation in total moisture (ice) content, the conditions under which the specimens were frozen (closed system or open system) and to the end effects at the platen-specimen interface.Des \ue9chantillons cylindriques de sable fin d'Ottawa (d\ue9signation C-109 de l'ASTM), compact\ue9 \ue0 la teneur optimale en humidit\ue9 et satur\ue9 avant le stade du gel ont \ue9t\ue9 soumis \ue0 des essais de compression uniaxiale \ue0 une temp\ue9rature de -5. 5 degr\ue9s C et \ue0 des taux de d\ue9formation variant entre 10[-7] et 10[-2]s[-1]. Les r\ue9sultats correspondent aux valeurs obtenues par extrapolation des donn\ue9es de Sayles et Epanchin (1), mais sont beaucoup plus \ue9l\ue9ves que les r\ue9sultats de Goughnour et Andersland (2) et de Perking et Ruedrich (3), \ue0 des taux de d\ue9formation inf\ue9rieurs \ue0 10[-5] s[-1]. Certains facteurs prouvent que ces r\ue9sultats peuvent \ueatre imputables \ue0 la teneur totale en humidit\ue9 contenue dans les \ue9chantillons, aux conditions de gel (syst\ue8me ouvert ou ferm\ue9) et aux effets mesur\ue9s \ue0 l'endroit de l'ensemble plateau de charge et \ue9chantillon.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye