RESEARCH AREAS:
FABRIC-SENSITIVE SOIL MECHANICS
In the past century, geotechnical design and analysis were underpinned by the assumption that soil behaviour can be properly modelled using stress and density-based state variables. Following improvements in our understanding of fundamental soil mechanics and recent advances in experimental technology, it is now apparent that the stress and fabric tensors (and their related properties) are the key state descriptors that will underpin rigorous geotechnical analysis and design in the 21st century. Below are examples of collaborative research that are helping shed new light on this topic:
Shi, Xiao, Carraro et al. (2023) Anisotropic small strain stiffness of lightly biocemented sand considering grain morphology. Géotechnique
Dominguez-Quintans, Carraro & Zdravkovic (2023) A critical assessment of the effect of initial fabric on key small-strain design parameters of slurry-deposited silts and sands. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Eng.
Quinteros & Carraro (2023) The initial fabric of undisturbed and reconstituted fluvial sand. Géotechnique
Liu, O’Sullivan & Carraro (2023) The influence of particle size distribution on the stress distribution in granular materials. Géotechnique
Liu, O’Sullivan & Carraro (2022) Use of combined static and dynamic testing to quantify the participation of particles in stress transmission. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Eng.
Liu, Morimoto, Carraro & O’Sullivan (2022) A semi-empirical re-evaluation of the influence of state on elastic stiffness in granular materials. Granular Matter
Tastan & Carraro (2022) The effect of principal stress rotation and intermediate principal stress changes on the liquefaction resistance and undrained cyclic response of Ottawa sand. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Eng.
Barnett, Rahman, Karim, Nguyen & Carraro (2021) Equivalent state theory for mixtures of sand with non-plastic fines: a DEM investigation. Géotechnique
Liu, O’Sullivan & Carraro (2021) Influence of particle size distribution on the proportion of stress-transmitting particles and implications for measures of soil state. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Eng.
Tastan & Carraro (2013) A New Slurry-Based Method of Preparation of Hollow Cylinder Specimens of Clean and Silty Sands. Geotechnical Testing Journal
Carraro, Prezzi & Salgado (2009) Shear Strength and Stiffness of Sands Containing Plastic or Nonplastic Fines, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Eng.
Carraro & Prezzi (2008) A new slurry-based method of preparation of specimens of sand containing fines, Geotechnical Testing Journal
Carraro, Bandini & Salgado (2003) Liquefaction resistance of clean and nonplastic silty sands based on cone penetration resistance, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Eng.
For an updated list of publications resulting from these multi-scale research collaborations on topics related to Fabric-Sensitive Soil Mechanics, please see the Publications section of this web page or contact Dr Carraro directly.
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE MATERIALS
Combining novel and sustainable soil stabilisation methods with fundamental principles from soil mechanics and recycling of waste materials, this collaborative and multi-disciplinary research is producing new sustainable materials for the next generation of green, resilient and socially-conscious engineering infrastructure of 21st-Century's Circular Economy (e.g. road embankments, rock dams, granular columns, road pavement layers, railway ballast, building foundations, wall insulation panels and load-bearing walls for residential buildings). Examples of collaborative publications on this topic include:
- Coal mining waste & fly ash: Wiechert et al. (2011)
- Rammed earth: Ciancio et al. (2014), Carraro (2015)
- Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP): Consoli et al. (2020)
- Recycled concrete: in progress
- Scrap tyre rubber: Carraro et al. (2013), Dunham-Friel & Carraro (2011), Seda et al. (2007), Mashiri et al. (2018)
Road construction with tyre rubber-soil technology (Carraro et al. 2013)
- Tailings & mine waste: Fox & Carraro (2010)
- Waste (carbide) lime: Consoli et al. (2001)
- Waste glass: Dunham-Friel & Carraro (2014), Kazmi et al. (2022)
- Waste fibre: van de Lindt et al. (2008)
For an updated list of publications and infrastructure applications resulting from these multi-disciplinary collaborations on new sustainable infrastructure materials, please see the Publications section of this web page or contact Dr Carraro directly.
Geotechnical Laboratory
Visitors and Postdoc Supervision
Visiting scholars and postdoctoral researchers:
- M. Rahman (South Australia), 2019
- J. Pineda (Newcastle), 2016
- B. Umashankar (IIT-Hyderabad), (Co-sup.: D. White), 2014
- J.B. Kang (Colorado State), 2011
International visitors (CNPq Science Without Borders):
- M.V. Coutinho (Co-sup.: S. Chow), 2016
- S. Harkins (Co-sup.: S. Gourvenec), 2016
- P.F. Tavares, 2015
- L. de Araujo, (Co-sup.: D. White), 2015
- C.A. Di Nubila, 2014
- M.S. Bortolotto, 2014
Guest Lectures
"Fabric-Sensitive Soil Mechanics: experimental insights", Invited Theme Lecture at IS-PORTO-2023: 8th International Symposium on Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, TC101 Committee, Porto, Portugal, 2023
Revision of ASTM D5311 Standard Test Method for Load Controlled Cyclic Triaxial Strength of Soil (WK66735), ASTM International, D18 Committee on Soil and Rock, 2022
Stability of Tailings Dams, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), Technical Committee TC221 on Tailings and Mine Wastes, 2022
Fabric-Sensitive Soil Mechanics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 2020
Fabric-Sensitive Soil Mechanics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, 2020
Fabric-Sensitive Soil Mechanics, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon, 2019
Fabric-Sensitive Soil Mechanics, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, 2019
3D Sand Behaviour – Quantitative Link Between Hollow Cylinder Response and Computed Tomography Fabric Data, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway, 2015
Offshore Sediments Research in Australia, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, 2013
Geomaterials Science Horizons, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2012
Field Construction of Expansive Soil-Rubber (ESR) Mixtures, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado, United States, 2010
Geotechnical Research in Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, United States, 2009
Expansive Soil-Rubber (ESR) Stabilization, Tetra Tech Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, United States, 2007
Mechanical Behaviour of Silty and Clayey Sands, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States, 2004
Research Student Supervision
Badanagki,M, Shear strength and stiffness of a Sahara sand from Libya, 2-Yr Research MS
Bortolotto,MS, Bender elements, ultrasonic pulse velocity and local gauges for the analysis of stiffness degradation of an artificially-cemented soil (Sup.: N.C. Consoli), 2-Yr Research MS
Budagher,EL, Fatigue and rutting analyses of a pavement structure with Expansive Soil-Rubber (ESR) base stabilized with off-specification fly ash, 2-Yr Research MS
Chen,S, Temperature-controlled interface shear box tests of a sand for pipeline design, 1-Yr Taught MSc
Dominguez-Quintans,C, Static and cyclic characterisation of sandy and silty soils deposited under water, PhD
Dunham-Friel,J, Shear strength and stiffness of expansive soil and rubber (ESR) mixtures in undrained axisymmetric compression, 2-Yr Research MS
Eid,J, Incorporation of tyre waste into Class 1 embankment materials in the UK (Co-sup.: C. O'Sullivan), 1-Yr Taught MSc
Fox,ZP, Critical state, dilatancy and particle breakage of mine waste rock, 2-Yr Research MS
Heyer,L, Swell, stiffness and strength of Expansive Soil-Rubber (ESR) mixtures at various scales: effect of specimen and rubber particle sizes, 2-Yr Research MS
Leflar,J, A mathematical model of steel-clad wood-frame shear diaphragms (Sup.: J. van de Lindt), 2-Yr Research MS
Lim,GT, Sampling disturbance in fine-grained soils (Sup.: N. Boukpeti; J. Pineda), PhD
Ma,J, Experimental characterisation of the mechanical response of tailings subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading scenarios (Jiali Ma), PhD student (2021-2022)
Quinteros Araujo,S, On the initial fabric and triaxial behaviour of an undisturbed and reconstituted fluvial sand, PhD
Sindi,H, Sustainable Geo-Materials in Resilient Civil Engineering Infrastructure, PhD
Stoeber,J, Effects of maximum particle size and sample scaling on the mechanical behavior of mine waste rock – A critical state approach, 2-Yr Research MS
Tastan,EO, Effects of principal stress rotation and intermediate principal stress changes on the drained monotonic and undrained cyclic behavior of clean and nonplastic silty Ottawa sands formed underwater, PhD
Wiechert,E, Beneficial use of off-specification fly ashes to increase the shear strength and stiffness of expansive soil-rubber (ESR) mixtures, 2-Yr Research MS