Deformation and failure mechanisms of granular soil around pressurised shallow cavities

The deformation patterns and failure mechanisms of pressurised cavities at shallow depth are relevant to many geotechnical applications, including tunnelling and horizontal directional drilling. In this paper, an experimental study of a reduced-scale pressurised cavity under geostatic stress is presented, in order to measure the effect of cavity length, vertical stress and soil density on soil deformation and failure. X-ray computed tomography is used to acquire images of the system at key stages of the cavity inflation process. A closed-shaped failure region developed around the cavities, beyond which shear planes of elliptic paraboloid shape formed, extending from the bottom of the cavities all the way to the free surface. The plane-strain assumption did not hold beyond the central portion of the longest cavity tested (L = 6D). The volumetric strain and porosity changes inside the shear bands showed significant dilation in dense specimens, but contraction in loose specimens. The average orientation and the thickness of the shear bands were in agreement with those found in the literature for passive arching mechanisms (anchoring). The orientation of the principal strains around the cavity follows catenary shapes, similar to those displayed in active trapdoor mechanisms.