Influence of stress path on deformation and strength characteristics of saturated intact loess under drainage condition

The drained triaxial consolidation shear test of saturated intact loess under two types of stress path including axial loading-radial unloading and axial unloading-radial loading with constant stress ratio is carried out to investigate the effect of stress path and confining pressure on deformation and strength characteristics of the loess.The result shows that the stress paths significantly influence the deformation and strength characteristics.Under both types of stress path with constant stress ratio,the volume contraction occurs.The volumetric strain has a disciplinary change as stress path changes under the same consolidation condition and the same type of stress path.For the same type of stress path with constant stress ratio,the failure strength is different under different stress paths,but the critical state line is unique.The shear strength of extension failure is less than that of compression failure.