ABSTRACT
The stress-strain-strength response of soils in many geotechnical systems, such as earth dams, slopes and highway embankments, may be best modeled using plane strain analyses. The assumption of plane strain condition is justified by virtually negligible deformations experienced by the soil along one of three principal axes of reference. Plane strain devices have been introduced to investigate the response of soils under these conditions and varying saturation states: Wood (1958), Vardoulakis & Goldscheider (1981), Vardoulakis & Graf (1985), Dresher et al. (1990), Alshibli et al. (2004), Schanz & Alabdullah (2007), Fauziah & Nikraz (2008), Cruz et al. (2011, 2012). Few attempts, however, have been made to study the engineering response of soils under plane strain conditions using more reliable and sophisticated true triaxial devices, including Desrues et al. (1985), testing dry dense sands; and Matsuoka et al. (2002), testing compacted silty soils under constant negative pore water pressure of –59 kPa.
