Elastic moduli of soils containing large gas bubbles

A conceptual model for soils containing large gas bubbles is analysed to provide theoretical expressions for the drained and undrained elastic moduli. Experimental values of the undrained moduli, measured in triaxial tests at large strains, show little agreement with the theoretical predictions. This lack of agreement is probably caused by concen- trated local plastic straining, which is likely to occur in soils containing gas bubbles at all but the smallest strains. The undrained behaviour at very small strains, as represented by acoustic measure- ments of the compression wave velocity, shows much better agreement with the theoretical predictions. Improved understanding of the small strain behaviour of soils containing large gas bubbles could he of considerable benefit to the offshore industry, for predicting the deformation of foundations constructed on gas-hearing sediments. On analyse un modele conceptuel pour des sols cootenant de grandes bulles de gaz afin d'obtenir des expressions theoriques pour l...