Time‐Dependent Strength Gain in Freshly Deposited or Densified Sand

Abstract

Much evidence is now available that freshly deposited or densified saturated clean sand may exhibit substantial stiffening and strength increase with times up to several months. Sand deposits may undergo a significant loss in strength as a result of disturbance, thus behaving in some respects in a manner similar to sensitive clay. These phenomena appear to be related to solution and precipitation reactions involving quartz, amorphous silica, and other compounds and the formation of cementing bonds at interparticle contacts. The effects of these phenomena must be considered when evaluating the results of laboratory tests on reconstituted samples, in the assessment of ground improvement using deep densification, in the evaluation and interpretation of relative density measurements, and in the estimation of liquefaction potential.