STUDY ON FRICTION OF SHEARING INTERFACE OF UNDERWATER SOILS

Using an improved self-designed apparatus for measuring the friction of shearing interface of underwater soils in the laboratory,we studied the relation of the interfacial shear strength and the interfacial friction of the soil with different particle size,water content and shear rates. The results show that the interfacial shear strength and the interfacial friction of the sandy silt are positively correlated with water content, and there is no significant changes in fine grained sand and medium sand with different water content. We also investigated the interfacial shear strength and the interfacial friction with the particle size of the soils, and found that the shear strength and interfacial friction change in an order of silty soil > sandy silt> fine sand ≈ medium sand. The values of friction of shearing interface underwater between various kinds of soils and silty soil-bed were 0.2-1.0 kPa and the application of interface friction force in the case of marine geological conditions are also discussed.