Aspects related to the small strain shear modulus behaviour of compacted soils subjected to wetting and drying

The dynamic properties of a soil are routinely investigated to describe its engineering behavior under repeated loading. Although the effect of suction on the dynamic response of soils is significant, there have been limited studies in which the post-compacted changes in suction induced by wetting and drying cycles have been considered. In this paper, aspects related to the dynamic properties with special reference to the small strain shear modulus of compacted soils subjected to wetting and drying are described. Further evidence on the dynamic response in terms of small strain shear modulus (G0) of a compacted soil subjected to wetting-drying is presented and novel insights into small strain behavior in multiple cycles of wetting and drying are shown. Particular emphasis is placed on the hysteric behavior and its dependence on the suction history. The results not only confirm the importance of the current suction ratio (or CSR), but also suggest that subsequent wetting-drying cycles further induce hysteretic changes in relation to the small strain shear modulus, particularly when following the wetting paths.