Journal of the Korean Geo-Environmental Society ISSN:1598-0820(Print) 2714-1233(Online) 한국지반환경공학회 논문집

This paper explores stress release induced by unloading in dry sand. A series of model tests were carried out to measure stresses developed in testing sand during loading and those released during unloading for different boundary conditions. It was found that stress in the sand increased linearly with applied load. At the onset of unloading, almost no stress release was observed. Significant stress release took place when the shear stress in the sand induced by unloading exceeded the frictional resistance and caused movement of sand particles. The initiation and the magnitude of stress release depend on the stress condition prior to unloading, the decrease of external load, and also the frictional resistance in sand. A new conceptual stress-release model was next developed based on the model test results by considering the fundamental frictional behavior of granular materials.