Publications related to Geotechnical investigation

X-ray chemical imaging for assessing redox microsites within soils and sediments

Redox reactions underlie several biogeochemical processes and are typically spatiotemporally heterogeneous in soils and sediments. However, redox heterogeneity has yet to be incorporated into mainstream conceptualizations and modeling of soil biogeochemist ...

Frontiers Media Sa2024

Insights from an extensive triaxial testing campaign on a shale for comparative site characterization of a deep geological repository

Lyesse Laloui, Alessio Ferrari, Eleonora Crisci

Several boreholes were drilled for site comparison of a deep geological repository (DGR) in Northern Switzerland. The main target of the exploration program was the >100m thick Opalinus Clay, the designated host rock encountered at approximately 450 to 100 ...

Elsevier2024

Energy geotechnology: A new era for geotechnical engineering practice

Lyesse Laloui, Melis Sütman

Energy geotechnology provides low carbon, cost-effective and local energy solu-tions to structures and infrastructures, which opens a new era for the geotechnical engineering practice, by extending the conventional role of structural design to the ...

CRC Press2023

On the Post-peak Behaviour of Remoulded and Jointed Clay Samples During Triaxial Compression Tests

Alessio Ferrari

The note presents a selection of the results of a large experimental program conducted with the aim of characterizing the shear strength of Opalinus Clay and Speswhite Kaolin in remoulded and reconstituted conditions, through the execution of unconventiona ...

2023

Drained Clay-Pipe Interface Resistance at Low Normal Stresses and Elevated Temperatures

Roba Houhou

Offshore pipelines that transport hydrocarbons under high pressure and high temperature are usually thermally insulated to maintain an elevated temperature and prevent any heat loss to the surroundings. However, the temperatures at the outer-wall of the pi ...

AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS2023

Pore-pressure coefficients for unsaturated soils: generalized effective stress approach

Lyesse Laloui, Alessio Ferrari, Angelica Tuttolomondo

Geotechnical problems with total stress changes occurring rapidly relative to the soil consolidation time can be conveniently addressed using an effective stress-based approach. For saturated states, analytical formulations of pore-pressure coefficients ad ...

CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING2023

Hydro-Mechanical Characterization of a Shale by Unusually High-Pressure Oedometric Tests

Alessio Ferrari, Eleonora Crisci

The note presents selected results of an experimental campaign conducted with the aim to investigate the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a shale recovered at a depth of about 900 m below the ground. High-pressure oedometric tests were performed to investigat ...

Wei Wu, Universität für Bodenkultur2023

Investigation of the effect of mineral dissolution on the geomechanical behaviour of geomaterials

Taeheon Kim

Geotechnical engineering scenarios engaged in internal erosion or mineral dissolution were found worldwide, from CO2 sequestration projects to internal erosion of earth dams. Materials subjected to loss of solid phase from their internal fabric vary from s ...

EPFL2022

Influence of depositional fabric on mechanical properties of naturally deposited sands

Gioacchino Viggiani, Edward Carlo Giorgio Andò

Fabric characteristics and shear deformation behaviour were analysed in four intact small-scale samples, including two disturbed and two undisturbed samples of naturally deposited sand from a shoal in the San Francisco Bay. Triaxial compression tests were ...

ICE PUBLISHING2022

Failure mechanism of fine-grained soil-structure interface for energy piles

Lyesse Laloui, Elena Ravera

The response of the soil-structure interface can significantly affect the performance of any geotechnical structure. Thermal cycles are a new factor that influence the response to all structures that have an energy function in addition to the structural on ...

2022

Experimental quantification of 3D deformations in sensitive clay during stress-probing

Edward Carlo Giorgio Andò

Unique four-dimensional (4D) deformation data are collected during drained triaxial tests on intact specimens of a natural sensitive clay. This requires the development of a miniature triaxial cell for advanced stress path testing, specifically designed fo ...

ICE PUBLISHING2022

Life cycle environmental assessment of retaining walls in unsaturated soils

Alessio Ferrari, Gianluca Speranza

Retaining structures above groundwater level support soils that are usually in a state of partial saturation and subject to the actions of atmospheric agents. The current design approach considers the possible extremes of soil conditions - either totally d ...

ELSEVIER2022

Discussion on "Experimental Deformation of Opalinus Clay at Elevated Temperature and Pressure Conditions: Mechanical Properties and the Influence of Rock Fabric" of Schuster, V., Rybacki, E., Bonnelye, A., Herrmann, J., Schleicher, AM, Dresen, G

Lyesse Laloui, Alessio Ferrari, Eleonora Crisci

The testing procedure and results on saturated samples of Opalinus Clay in the work of Schuster et al. (Rock Mech Rock Eng https://doi.org/10.1007/ s00603-021-02474-3, 2021) were conducted and presented using strain rates two to four orders of magnitudes h ...

2022

Benchmark study of undrained triaxial testing of Opalinus Clay shale: Results and implications for robust testing

Lyesse Laloui, Alessio Ferrari, Alberto Minardi

Triaxial testing of argillaceous rocks and shales is significantly more challenging than conventional rock mechanical testing. The challenges are mainly related to the very low permeability of these geomaterials, and their sensitivity to exposure of atmosp ...

ELSEVIER2021

On the compressive and bond strength of reinforced concrete as structural properties

Francesco Rafael Alberto Moccia

Traditionally, the concrete strength is measured on cubes or cylinders having normalized dimensions, suitable vibration and curing conditions and their strength is assessed in laboratory under fast loading rates. However, the in-situ strength of structural ...

EPFL2021

Microstructure observations in compacted clays subjected to thermal loading

Lyesse Laloui, Melis Sütman, Roba Houhou

The response of clayey materials to thermal variation has been the subject of extensive studies, given the wide range of engineering applications which involve subjecting soils to substantial temperature fluctuations. A number of hypotheses have been propo ...

2021

Effective stress for unsaturated active clays and in-situ effective stress estimation methodology

Angelica Tuttolomondo

The complexity of the mechanics of active clays and, more generally, of geomaterials with clay minerals, under saturated and unsaturated conditions, still provides relevant scientific challenges today. Equally relevant challenges are the understanding of t ...

EPFL2021

Simulation of High-Frequency Transients in Overhead Lines Including Frequency-Dependent Soil Parameters: an FDTD Aproach

Farhad Rachidi-Haeri, Rafael Silva Alipio

This paper investigates the effect of frequency-dependent soil parameters on the simulation of electromagnetic transients on overhead lines, based on the application of the FDTD method to solve the telegrapher’s equations. The ground return impedance is ca ...

2021

Shear behavior of single- and triple-thickness masonry panels strengthened by bed-joint structural repointing

Ricardo Javier Serpell Carriquiry

Bed-joint structural repointing is a widely used strengthening technique in historic masonry constructions, particularly in applications where the material appearance needs to be preserved. Despite its wide use, limited research is available on the effecti ...

ELSEVIER SCI LTD2021

Geotechnical and environmental performance of retaining structures in unsaturated soils

Gianluca Speranza

Presently, environmental issues are considered as critical aspects concerning the market competitiveness in the building and construction sector. However, the construction sector is regarded as one of the main areas contributing to CO2 emissions and resour ...

EPFL2020