440 TECHNICAL NOTES

The Authors thank Dr A. H. Chilver for encouragement of their work while Head of the
Department of Civil and Municipal Engineering, University College London, and Mr E. Cutler
for help in making various items of equipment.

REFERENCES
.\RTHCR, J. R. F. & SHARIASH,S. J. (1967). A note on the accuracy of displacement measurements in soils
using an X-ray method. Civ. Englzg publ. Wks Rev., 62, April, 455-456.
ARTHUR, J. R. F. & DUNSTAN, T. (1969). Radiography measurements of particle packing. Nature, Lo&.
223, No. 5205, 464-468.
.YRTHUR, J. R. F. & DUNSTAN, T. (1970). Radiological techniques developed to describe particle packing.
J. Poewder Technol. 3. 195-207.
KAROL, R. H. & MARK, L. E. (1962). Unique use of chemical grout solution promises precise sampling of
loose soil. Engng Min. J. 163, June.
ROSCOE, K. H., ARTHUR, J. R. F. & JAMES, R. G. (1963). The determination of strains in soils by an X-ral
method. Civ. Eng?zg pzcbl. Wks Rev., 58, July, 873-876 and 58, August, 1009-1012.
SCHIFFMAN,R. L. & WILSON, J. (1958). The mechanical behaviour of chemically treated granular soils.
Proc. Am. Sot. Test Mater 58, 1218-1244.
SHAMASH, S. J. (1969). Strains induced in engineering soil by sampling. M.Phil. thesis, University of
London.
SOULIE, 31. & \%LSON, S. J. (1970). Technique for study of granular materials. J. Soil Mach. Fdns Div.
.1nz. Sot. civ. Engrs 96, Shf4, 1113-1126.

CENTRIFUGAL MODEL TEST OF A SHORT-TERM FAILURE

IN LONDON CLAY

A. LYSDON* and A. N. SCHOEIELD*

A series of centrifugal tests on models made of soil is being conducted at the University of
Manchester Institute of Science and Technology by Lyndon and Schofield (1969) in collabora-
tion with Messrs George Wimpey & Co. Ltd. These tests include the short-term failures of
cuttings in London clay and correspondence on an early result is invited. The prototype to be
modelled in this instance was arbitrarily chosen to represent a 10 m excavation wholly in
brown London clay. The intention was to produce in the centrifugal model test a short-term
failure similar to that which might occur in the field.
A large undisturbed sample 700 mm in diameter and 400 mm deep of firm to stiff weathered
London clay1 of approximately 3 t mass was recovered from a construction site near Croydon
at a depth of about 2 m below ground level and subjected to centrifugal consolidation at a
constant speed of 200 rev/min for a total period of 16 hours. Under this steady acceleration
field, corresponding to 66 gravities, the self-weight of the soil had been so increased that initial
excess pore pressures developed in the lower part of the sample. These initial pressures were
observed to dissipate by recording, on flash photographs, the fall of the water level in stand-
pipes connected to piezometer tips set in the lower part of the sample.
The application in this case of the modelling laws as described by Avgherinos and Schofield
(1969) results in the adoption of scaling factors of 66 on dimensions and 4356 on time. Thus,
to predict pore pressure changes occurring in a week of consolidation in the prototype, it would
be required to measure changes occurring in (7 x 24 x 60)/4356 = 2.3 min of consolidation in the
model. To obtain a 10 m deep excavation in the prototype, the model required to be cut to a

* Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

1 The sample has been described by Hutchinson (1970) as brown, fissured London Clay, fissure spacing
generally in the range 10 to 15 mm but closer in places. Some green staining on fissure surfaces. Occasional
roots and clusters of selenite crystals.

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 TECHXICAL XOTES 441

Undrained shear
Position after slip Original gropnd level
rrrength:kN/n? \

10
X Before excwatlon 0 Plastic limit
. After failure Location of centres
+ Liquid limit
. Water content 3 in. x I tin. dia. samples taken
Clay fraction 62-66x
after failure shown 0
I) Water content after failure

Fig. 5. Scaled model of slip

depth of (10 x 1000)/66= 150 mm. The model excavation had unequal slopes at batters of
l/3: 1 and l/2: 1 as shown in plan in Fig. 1 and section in Fig. 2. After the 16 hours of centri-
fugal consolidation the machine was stopped for 2=&hours while the model excavation was cut.
The model was then rapidly brought to the constant speed of 200 rev/min. No serious deteri-
oration of the slopes took place immediately on the attainment of this speed. With continua-
tion of the test, bulging outwards of the steeper slope and cracking was observed, and after
28 min large tension cracks had opened in the model (Fig. 3 ). Failure of the steeper slope
finally occurred in 55 min as shown in plan in Fig. 4 and section in Fig. 5, with a large wedge
of soil slipping out for about half the total length of the cutting. In order to observe the
actual slip surface (AB in Fig. 5) an intact mass of soil was removed from the wedge revealing
the slickensides shown in Fig. 6.
Several plane slip surfaces with dry tension cracks were analysed. The slip surface AC
shown in Fig. 5, with the tension crack to the observed depth, proved to be more critical than
any surface with deeper cracks of depth 2c/y. The shear strength required on AC for the
condition of limiting equilibrium was 47.6 kN/ma which is plotted as a dashed line through the
strengths shown at the left of Fig. 5. This dashed line is seen to be about 60% of the average
of measured strengths before forming the cutting, but is in agreement with three strengths
measured behind the failure slope immediately on completion of the test. The shear strengths
were determined by immediate unconfined compression tests conducted on 3 in x 14 in dia.
specimens at a strain rate of 276 per min. The sucking in of water towards the slip zone was
also observed and is shown at the lower right of Fig. 5.
It has been suggested that the scaling factor for consolidation times is the square of the
dimensional scale (as in Terzaghis dimensionless time factor where TV/c= t/H ) If softening
in the failure zone is primarily a matter of suction of water into a zone of given geometry then
it is appropriate to introduce the same scaling factor of 662 = 4356 in softening as was also used
in consolidation. In that case the times of 28 min and 55 min that applied to the models
shown in Figs 3 and4 would correspond to (28 x 4356)/(7 x 24 x 60) = 12 weeks and (55 x 4356)/
(7 x 24 x 60) = 24 weeks respectively at the prototype scale. However, if the view taken is that

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 442 TECHNICAL NOTES

in general, softening is consequent upon opening up of fissures, then those time equivalents
calculated for a zone of given geometry would not be appropriate at the prototype scale.
Many questions remain to be resolved before it could be claimed that the short-term
stability of excavations in stiff fissured London clay can be predicted accurately from centri-
fugal model tests. Case records of failures are usually of complicated sections, and the pro-
gramme of modelling actual cases will take some time to complete. However, this simple
test is reported at this early stage because, although it seems unlikely that anyone has ever
made, or will make, an excavation to 10 m at a batter of l/3: 1 in brown London clay, it would
be interesting to learn of any such simple excavation that remained open for any length of
time.

REFERENCES

l\~~~~~~~~~, J. & SCHOFIELD,A. S. (1969).

P. Drawdown failures on centrifugal models. Proc. 7th Int.
Mexico 2, 497-505.
Conf. Soil Mech.,
HUTCHINSON,J. N. (1970). Private communication.
LYNDON, A. & SCHOFIELD,A. N. (1969). Centrifugal testing of models made of soil. University of Man-
chester Institute of Science and Technology, unpublished first report to Wolfson Foundation.

OVERCONSOLIDATION IN SOFT CLAY DEPOSITS

R. H. G. PARRY*

INTRODUCTION

Most natural deposits of soft clays are lightly overconsolidated as a result of one or more of
the following causes :
(a) desiccation stresses due to moisture extraction by plant roots, surface evaporation
and so on
(b) secondary or delayed consolidation
(c) changes in static groundwater level.
Another possible cause of overconsolidation is the erosion of surface material, but in the
type of recent deposits considered in this Note this is not a common cause, and it is assumed
that no erosion or addition of surface soil has occurred subsequent to the end of deposition of
the soft clay. It is also assumed that high desiccation stresses exist or have existed only above
the lowest past groundwater level and hence in the surface crust, whereas the main interest in
this Note is in soil below the surface crust.
The quasi-preconsolidation effect introduced by secondary or delayed consolidation has
been discussed by a number of workers, e.g. Leonards and Alfschaeffl(1964), Raymond (1966),
Bjerrum (1967).
The laboratory and field data presented by Bjerrum (1967) leave no doubt that a light degree
of overconsolidation can be introduced into natural deposits of soft clay by delayed consolida-
tion. Further, Bjerrum illustrates clearly with a number of field examples the marked effect
this small degree of overconsolidation has on the settlement of buildings. In particular,

* University Engineering Department, Cambridge.

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