Mechanical behaviour of soil by treatment with a curved blade having a small angle of approach

The formation of failure surfaces and soil movement in a two-dimensional process were filmed in the laboratory. The tool used was a curved blade with a small angle of approach. Different soil types have been investigated under different conditions of moisture content and pore space. Open crack formation was the most common type of failure. From the films, diagrams are made showing the failure patterns and the progress of development of the cracks. The handling of soil by the blade consists of three phases following on from each other; intake, main flow and output process. Different types of intake, main flow and output are described and discussed. The intake is primarily decisive for the final result. It appeared that intake processes are often irregular and it is possible that these irregularities have a dynamic cause.