Clay micromechanics: Experimental challenges and perspectives

¹ University of Strathclyde, Civil and Environmental Department, James Weir Building Level 5, 75 Montrose Street, G1 1XJAddress, Glasgow, UK
² Delft University of Technology, Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Building 23 Stevinweg 12628 CN Delft, The Netherland
³ Chalmers University of Technology, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Geology and Geotechnics Division, - SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
⁴ Politecnico di Torino, Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
⁵ Université de Lorraine, Civil Engineering Department, 34 Cours Léopold 54000 Nancy, France
⁶ Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratoire 3SR, Bâtiment Galilée, 1270, rue de la piscine 38400 Saint Martin d’Hères, France

^* Corresponding author: matteo.pedrotti@strath.ac.uk

Abstract

The importance of physico-chemical processes at the particle scale for the engineering scale behaviour of fine-grained geomaterials is undisputed. Yet, despite great advances in the discipline, experimental evidence that fully resolves the clay micromechanics i.e. linking the evolving microstructure and interparticle actions under loading, is lacking. This paper will discuss the challenges ahead in quantifying the evolving kinematics and interparticle interactions of fine-grained geomaterials. As such, the current limitations, and the potential opportunities of experimental methodologies for manipulating, monitoring and (post-mortem) analysing fine-grained materials at the particle scale will be discussed. In addition to the need of integrating multiple experimental techniques that span several length scales and modalities, the critical role of advanced data reduction and analysis is highlighted, as required for a measurement as opposed to qualitative observation. Throughout the paper, the link between experimental clay micromechanics and modelling will be discussed.