Thermally and chemically induced failure in geomaterials

Failure conditions in soils occurring during or as a result of heating or by altering their chemical environment appear to be strongly dependent on the history of the application of stress and temperature and or the chemical change. Several cases of such history leading to various modes of failure are identified and interpreted in terms of Thermal and Chemical Cam-Clay models. Particular attention is given to the influence of thermal variability on the coefficient of the critical state, M, or the angle of internal friction. A detailed analysis of the material history offers an explanation of an apparent confusion about whether the soil strength is decreased or increased by temperature. Dependence of failure conditions of clay on the ion concentration in pore water and on its acidity in the context of a landslide trigger mechanism are also discussed. © 2009 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.