Effect of physical parameters on static undrained resistance of sandy soil with low silt content

Previous researches concerning the behavior of sand mixed with non-plastic fine show that the void ratio related to sand grains (ec) plays a more important role in comparison with the total void ratio, where soil undrained resistance will be improved due to increase in FC at the constant ec. In spite of this fact, the recent works indicate that ec is unable to show perfectly the role of the non-plastic fines that are in voids between sand grains. For this reason, an equivalent void ratio (ec)eq has been defined that takes into account the non-plastic fine participation ratio in the soil bearing skeleton. In the present work, the generality of the expression of (ec)eq is verified. For this, a set of static undrained triaxial tests were performed. The results of tests indicate that the undrained behavior of a given sand mixed with different percentages of non-plastic fine can be described by (ec)eq. But if the grading curves of sand change, we cannot find a logic retention between (ec)eq and undrained resistance of soil, unless the physical and mechanical characteristics of soil are well introduced in expression of (ec)eq.