Multi scale investigation of post-erosion mechanical behaviour of granular material

Internal erosion is believed to be the main reason of approximately 50 per cent of embankment dam failures. Several studies have already been conducted on different aspects of internal erosion. However, only a few attempts, with considerable discrepancies in results, have been carried out to investigate the post-erosion behaviour. In fact, variation of soil strength and stiffness due to progressive internal erosion is not well understood. This research includes investigation of mechanical behaviour of an internally unstable cohesionless soil during internal erosion and post-erosion response under monotonic and cyclic loadings using a newly developed erosion-triaxial apparatus and 3-dimensional X-ray tomography.