Experimental and theoretical investigations on the mechanical behavior of frozen silt

• The compressive tests of frozen silt have been conducted at − 2, − 4, − 6, − 8 °C.
• The nonlinear characteristics of the stress-strain curves were analyzed.
• The evolution process of damage has been investigated.
• The statistical damage constitutive model for frozen silt is given.

The mechanical properties of frozen soil are complicated due to their complex components and sensitivity to temperature, water content and pressure. This study conducts triaxial compressive tests to experimentally investigate the mechanical properties of frozen silt under different confining pressures and at temperatures of − 2.0, − 4.0, − 6.0 and − 8.0 °C. Constitutive models, which are used to describe the response behaviors of natural and artificial materials under different loading and environmental conditions, were used as the bases for the description of the mechanical behavior of this frozen silt under external loads. After introducing continuous damage and statistics theories, a statistical damage constitutive model was proposed to reproduce the deformation of frozen silt. The Weibull distribution function was used in the model to describe the propagations of micro-voids and micro-cracks during loading process. The validity of this model was verified by comparing its modeling predictions with the experimental results. It was found that the predictions by this model agree well with the corresponding experimental data.