Laboratory investigation on nonlinear dynamic properties of core materials of Italian dams

This paper presents the results of a series of laboratory investigations into the dynamic properties of core materials of Italian earth-core rockfill dams. All tests have been performed on specimens of undisturbed samples reconsolidated in a wide range of effective confining stresses. Most of the data were obtained from cyclic simple shear tests and few data from resonant column tests. It is shown that the shifting of the G/G0-c and D-c curves with plastic index and effective confining stress is not as significant as it is well established for natural fine-grained soils. Generic literature curves do not predict properly the dynamic behaviour of the core materials, especially in the small-to-medium strain range. The importance of conducting site-specific measurements in order to accurately model the behaviour of core materials for dynamic analyses of embankment dams is therefore highlighted.