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Thixotropic Characteristics and Strength Regain of Kalomato Soil

Dibangar Khoteja

Abstract


The mechanical behavior of soil depends not only on index properties, but also on stress history, environmental changes, and time-dependent aging. Undisturbed soils possess a natural equilibrium structure; remolding disrupts this particle matrix, causing a significant loss in effective stress and shear strength. Following the removal of disturbing forces, remolded soils naturally seek a new equilibrium through particle rearrangement, ionic distribution, and adsorbed water restructuring. This continuous, isothermal regain of shear strength at constant moisture content and density is termed thixotropy. This study investigates the thixotropic characteristics of Kalomato soil collected from one of the central key locations in the valley: Sanepa. Over a 90-day period, remolded specimens exhibited a notable recovery in shear strength, regaining between 16.76 % and 18.79 % of their original undisturbed strength. These results align closely with established trends for organic soils. Accounting for this time-dependent strength regain provides essential insights into long-term skin friction mobilization, offering valuable parameters for optimizing deep foundations and piled-raft systems in soft, organic deposits.


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References


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