Influence of water content on clay deformation characteristics subjected to periodic intermittent loading

The influence of clay's drainage and reconsolidation behavior during the intermittent period on clay's deformation needs to be further studied. Dynamic loads, such as traffic and earthquake, etc., have a certain intermittent period during the loading process. This study examined the deformation behavior of the clay obtained from Nanchang under various cyclic stress ratios (CSR) and water content conditions. The results demonstrated that minor strain rebound occurs in all intermittent periods. Aside from that, drainage reconsolidation during intermittent periods alters the pattern of strain accumulation during subsequent loading periods, and cyclic stress levels and water content conditions can impact the intermittent effects. In contrast, the development of strain in the samples under intermittent loading is more negatively impacted by high CSR and low water content (deviation from optimal water content). The hysteresis curve continued to change throughout the test, the accumulation and dissipation of excess pore water pressure changed, and it was found that the samples' resilient modulus had increased, indicating an improvement in the samples' resistance to deformation.