Soil-structure interaction and pre-failure deformation with reference to material degradation

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Soil-structure interaction problems in geotechnical engineering related to infrastructure, such as dams, highway pavements, and municipal utilities including sewage and water supply pipelines, are extremely important.  While appropriate designs reduce the risk of failure due to insufficient soil strength, to an acceptable level, a repetitive application of stresses lower than the soil strength and/or soil degradation induced by environmental change may induce accumulative deformation of the soil, and hence affect the function of infrastructure built on/in the soil. For example, degradation of granular base/subbase materials and subgrade soils owing to repetitive traffic loading and seasonal environmental change (e.g., moisture and temperature) costs millions of dollars every year to maintain Canadian highways in good condition. The main objectives of the proposed research are to investigate pre-failure deformation and degradation of soils subjected to (repetitive) stresses and environmental change, as well as their influence on the function of structures built on the soil. This research consists of both experimental study and computer modelling of soil behaviour and soil-structure interaction. Degradation of soil behaviour will be measured and visualized using image techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), while numerical models will be developed to simulate the variation of performance of structures induced by soil degradation. The proposed research is unique in that it accounts for material degradation related to both cyclic loading and environmental change when analyzing soil-structure interaction. The results will provide effective tools for reliable and economic design of structures as well as rehabilitation of existing infrastructure subjected to various stress and environmental conditions. The work will involve graduate students who will become highly qualified researchers at the end of the program.