Experimental Study on the Influence of Granulometric and Material Compositions on Soil Rheological Properties

In order to investigate the influence of granulometric and material composition on rheology, in this study an improved direct shear creep apparatus is used to conduct shear rheological tests on sandy soil samples of different granulometric compositions and water contents. Creep curves for different shear load levels, as are the average viscosity coefficients of soils based on the experimental data and curves relating the creep stress threshold/ average viscosity coefficient and organic matter content. Analysis of the experimental data reveals that the rheology of sandy soil was most strongly influenced by particle size, water content, and the level of shear stress; organic matter content was the primary material factor affecting the rheological properties of soft soil; with increase in organic matter content, the deformation of soft soil was obviously increased, while the creep stress threshold significantly decreased. This experimental study offers insights into the microscopic mechanisms behind soil rheology and has significance for the calculation and engineering design of the time-dependent deformation of the foundation.