ABSTRACT

The variation of the elastic (E) and the shear (G) modulus of soils with respect to suction can be predicted using several semi-empirical models. However, limited studies are reported in the literature to investigate the well known interrelationships between the E and the G for soils that are in a state of unsaturated condition. This paper revisits the experimental results of Mendoza et al. (2005) determined using the bender element technique to examine the well known relationship between the E and the G with respect to different degrees of saturation (i.e. suction). The analyses of the results show that the Poisson’s ratio, ν is a function of degree of saturation and is a sensitive parameter in the reliable estimation of the E and the G for unsaturated soils.