Behaviour of large post-liquefaction deformation in saturated sand-gravel composites

The laboratory tests on the post-liquefaction deformation of saturated sand-gravel composites were performed to investigate the characteristics of stress-strain relation and the dissipation of pore water pressure by the hollow cylinder apparatus. It is found that the stress-strain response and the dissipation process of pore water pressure are composed of three stages, including the low intensive strength stage, the superlinear strength recovery stage and the sublinear strength recovery stage, and the demarcation points of the curve of pore water pressure are lag behind those of the stress-strain response. The comparison results of the behaviour of large post-liquefaction deformation between saturated sand-gravel composites and Nanjing fine sand show that the low intensive strength stage and the superlinear strength recovery stage of saturated sand-gravel composites are shorter while the sublinear strength recovery stage is longer. A stress-strain model and a dissipation model of excess pore water pressure of liquefied sand-gravel composites are established, in which the initial confining pressure and the relative density can be considered synthetically. And it is found that the predicted results by the two models are in good agreement with experimental data.