The influence of the stress–strain behavior of non-cohesive soils on the geometry of shear band systems under extensional strain

The influence of the stress–strain behavior of granular non-cohesive materials on the geometry of shear band systems, specified by the spacing and the inclination of the shear bands, is investigated. Sandbox experiments on quartz sand in natural as well as in increased gravity are performed by applying extensional strain to specimens with different densities in initial state. Radiography is used to determine the spacing and the inclination of the developing shear zones, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is applied to identify the deformation mechanism and the point of localization. Triaxial extension tests with respective densities are performed in order to determine the stress–strain behavior of the sand. It is found that the shear band spacing can be correlated with the initial density of the specimen.