Tensile Behavior Analysis of Loess Using Digital Image Correlation Method

In this research, a new apparatus was developed to identify the tensile behavior of three loess samples from different regions. Influence of water contents on tensile strength characteristics was investigated. The variations of local longitudinal strains ε_xx field were analyzed using the DIC method. The design of narrow portion in the center of the soil sample provides an effective method for analyzing the tensile behaviors and for precisely measuring tensile strength of the tested soils. With the results of tensile behavior curves of loess in slurry state, the tensile process can be divided into three stages. The tensile behavior of loess is greatly influenced by water content, mineralogy and microstructure of soil samples. The tensile strength of soil is relatively smaller with a larger water content. However, it’s worth noting that the current research is limited to the analysis of the above factors. The future studies may explore additional parameters and their interactions to further enhance our understating of tensile behavior of loess. In addition, many tensile tests are conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, which may not accurately represent the in-situ case. The influence of environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and corrosion, on tensile behavior is not adequately considered in this research.