THE BEHAVIOR OF VERY LOOSE SAND IN THE TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TEST - REPLY

Drained test results on very loose sand are very rare and the data presented by the writer represent a significant contribution to the literature. In this reply, the authors answer the writer's specific questions. They agree that general principles should apply to both undrained and drained tests. The method of determining the critical state line for sands is given in the authors' paper. The difficulties associated with determining the critical state line from triaxial tests on sand dense of critical have been well documented. They agree with the writer that the Cam-clay model is not applicable to sand. Assumption of isotropic behaviour was unrealistic and was adopted for simplicity; as demonstrated, however, the major features of the behaviour of very loose sand in drained and undrained triaxial compression can be reproduced by an isotropic model.