Evaluation of Dynamic Properties of Sands by Resonant Column Testing

Abstract Torsional resonant column tests were performed on Monterey No. 0 sand of 60% relative density under confining pressures ranging from 10 to 300 kPa to evaluate the dynamic properties of the sand. Both solid and hollow cylindrical specimens were used in testing, and shear moduli and damping ratios were determined for cyclic shear strain amplitudes from 10−4 to 5 × 10−2%. The test results indicated that the type of specimen, that is, solid or hollow cylinder, had no significant effect on the calculated shear moduli and damping ratios, except that at very low strain amplitudes (γ ≤ 10−3%) where the shear moduli of the hollow specimens tended to be slightly lower and the damping ratios slightly higher. Multistage testing had no significant effect on the shear moduli when the values were compared with those from the single-stage testing; however, multistage testing had a significant effect on the damping ratios under a confining pressure 100 kPa. Both shear moduli and damping ratios obtained in this program correlate well with other available data.