Publication

Abstract : The present study explores the variation in mechanical and index properties of reactive granular materials through a systematic chemical dissolution exercise. Series of mineral dissolution tests were conducted on calcite granules under confined condition up to a certain level of mass reduction followed by mechanical testing with the degraded specimens. Two sets of conventional drained triaxial tests,–at constant relative density and at constant initial void ratio–were carried out on the degraded particles at different initial degree of dissolution. The results show that for degraded granular materials the shear strength properties are influenced by the granular material packing (density) in terms of initial void ratio, while current void ratio regulates the elastic response. Based on such experimental observation we enhance the extended Mohr-Coulomb constitutive relationship. Additionally we propose a novel coupled (volume-shear) nonlinear elastic model for granular materials taking into account the variation in void ratio during deformation.